One Small Step
by Barewolf
Summary: A small and somewhat timid character has a unlikely connetion to Heero, and his former comrades soon begin to suspect that not everything is as it first seems…
1. Part One

One Small Step

By Barewolf

Part One (Chapters 1-5)

Set six months after the end of the war.

As the Gundam Pilots and their wartime comrades begin to settle down into their new civilian lives, Heero surprises everyone when he reveals a number of major secrets from his past, including the rather unexpected proclamation that he has a sibling.

As this small and somewhat timid character eventually befriends some of Heero's former comrades, they quickly begin to suspect that not everything is as it seems…

Chapter One

Temperatures were high that day. The sun blazed with graceful intensity between the few wisps of cloud that sparsely peppered the sky.

Quatre was used to the heat. Being Arabian, and having spent half of his young life living in the dessert, he thought nothing of the near ninety degree heat, however, Sally was finding it just a little too warm to be completely comfortable, but she wasn't complaining. She had been looking forward to this day for what seemed like an eternity.

It had been almost six months since Quatre had woken from his coma after a narrow brush with death following one of the final battles of the war. For many months prior to that, he had faithfully promised Sally a day out together once the war had ended. After months of trying, they finally managed to find the time to go.

For Sally, this was also to be the start of a short vacation. She had agreed to be Quatre's guest at the Winner mansion for a week after finally agreeing she was feeling stressed and in need of a break from her somewhat hectic life as a civilian doctor.

They agreed a trip to the coast seemed fitting for such a fine day, so armed with a picnic, a Rolls Royce and Quatre's faithful chauffeur James, they headed off from the Winner mansion to a place that very few people knew of. An hour later, after winding their way along numerous green country lanes, they eventually pulled up to a gate at what seemed like the middle of nowhere.

"Here we are master Quatre" spoke James, applying the handbrake.

Quatre leaned forward, pulling himself up between the front seats. He stared contemplatively at the woody green lane that lay beyond the gate.

"Yes, this is it James... Oh! I remember it so well", he spoke quietly as thoughts of happier moments of his childhood ran through his mind. Sally pulled herself forward, holding onto the back of the seat in front of her, moving next to him. She put her head close to his as she too peered curiously out of the windscreen at the woodland ahead.

"You've been here before?" she enquired quietly.

Quatre nodded, "Many times, when I was young" he replied resting his chin on the back of James's seat, contemplating further into his memories.

"My father used to bring us... that is, my sisters and I, here whenever he got the chance. It's so beautiful here" he spoke softly, recalling past memories. He visualized himself as a child, running barefoot across the nearby open meadows holding on to a kite, trying to get it to fly, playing childhood games like hide and seek, and tag, with his sisters, play-wrestling with his father, and swimming in the secret lagoon and the sea close by.

"Well, are we going to just stare at it or go and have a look?", asked Sally smiling, eager to get out and explore the area.

"Shall I get the hamper Master Quatre?" asked James, making eye contact with him via the rear view mirror. He reluctantly broke from his daydreaming and nodded to James.

Quatre reached for the door handle and opened the door.

"Come on then Sal", he said, "Let's go and see. I think you'll like it here"

Sally reached for her door handle, but before she could reach it, the chauffeur had already opened her door.

"Oh!" she spoke, sounding a little surprised, "Thank you James."

They all wandered round to the back of the car and James opened the Boot lid. Inside the otherwise empty boot sat a large, rectangular, wicker basket.

"Shall I carry the basket for you master Quatre?", asked the grey suited man, respectfully.

"That won't be necessary James", he replied, "I'll take it from here, but thanks anyway". Quatre was about to reach in for the basket when James put his hand out to stop him.

"Then perhaps, if you'll forgive my presumptuousness master... I have taken the liberty to ensure your comfort", spoke James, slightly hesitantly.

He reached in and opened the basket to reveal two pre-packed rucksacks. He lifted the largest one out and held it up for Quatre to slip his arms into.

Quatre gave a huge smile, laughing out loud.

"Oh James!" he beamed, "What would I do without you? You're so resourceful, and thoughtful... Thank you". Quatre bowed his head respectfully at the chauffeur in appreciation of his forethought, then turned around and slipped his arms through the straps, hoisting it on to his back.

After helping the young Arab adjust his straps for optimum comfort, James reached in and pulled out a second, much smaller rucksack for Sally. He held it up for her to slip her arms into.

"And a lightweight, for madam", he said as she smiled at him, then turned and slipped it on.

"I took the liberty to pack some sun block, it's in the side pocket master Quatre", remarked James, gesturing to the pack on Sally's back.

"Thanks again James", replied Quatre gratefully. "We shall not be needing the car for a good while, probably until dusk", he looked at Sally for conformation, she nodded in agreement.

"Why don't you take the afternoon off James, perhaps you would be kind enough to pick us up from here later?"

"But of course master", was the humble reply.

"I know you've got family nearby, perhaps you would like to visit them", suggested Quatre.

"I was thinking the very same thing master", came the reply

"Well, it's your choice, just enjoy you're time off and we'll see you at dusk", replied Quatre, slipping his thumbs under his shoulder straps and turning to begin their walk.

James watched loyally as they opened the big old gate and walked through. Eventually they disappeared out of sight, past a bend in the woodland path.

They were both dressed for the part, in walking boots, and knee-length safari shorts. Quatre's were sand coloured whist Sally's were a military green, which also matched her military style green sleeveless top. Quatre's polo shirt was more brightly coloured with horizontal thin multicoloured stripes.

They wandered their way along the enchanting green lane. The smell of blossom from the trees was all around them. Small birds sang and fluttered about in the hedgerows and bushes walled on either side of the narrow grassy path. On some occasions, the path opened up as the trees formed large shady canopies overhead, causing bright, straight beams of sunlight to filter through the slightly dusty air onto the ground ahead of them.

"You are so kind to your staff Quatre", Sally commented. Quatre smiled.

"Well I don't really consider James to be staff", he replied, "He's like one of the family really, He's been with us since way before I was born".

Sally grinned, "He's got a very dry sense of humour, I like that", she remarked, "and he likes you a lot Quatre, I can tell he's very loyal to you".

Quatre looked down at the ground and sighed, nodding slightly at Sally's comments but suddenly looking a little saddened.

"When... When my father was killed... James took it very badly, they were good friends you know", he looked up to Sally who was listening absorbedly.

"They often played golf together on their days off". He allowed his mind to conjure up images of the past.

"Since then, James and I... Well, we seem to have got a little closer. I sometimes feel a bit guilty for ordering him around and telling him what to do, but he absolutely insists he wants nothing to change and that is how he likes his job to be."

Sally nodded, quietly empathising with the sadness she felt from his voice. She knew it was still hard for him to talk about his fathers' death so decided not to push the subject further.

She looked around at their surroundings. They were still walking along a narrow, winding woody path, now abundant with white blossom on either side. She inhaled the sweet scent that filled the air.

"This is so beautiful Quatre", she sighed, reaching her hand out to a tall blade of ryegrass and pulling on it.

Quatre looked at her and smiled, suddenly perking up from his slightly sombre condition,

"You haven't seen anything yet!" he beamed enigmatically. He looked ahead of them on the track. "It's not far now," he said

"What's not far?", asked Sally.

A large, knowing grin appeared on Quatre's face.

"You'll see", he replied, not wanting to reveal too much.

A few minutes later they came to a narrowing in the path. The trees and undergrowth had grown substantially from where the path had been so unused for the past couple of years. They had to wade through waist-high grass and undergrowth to continue.

"Are you sure we're still on the path?" asked Sally.

Quatre, who was now scanning the bushes to their left, nodded.

"Oh yes, this is definitely the place", he replied, "It's just around here somewhere", he replied, continuing to eagerly search his eyes all over the shrubs and bushes lining one side of the path.

"Err... what exactly are you looking for Cat?" asked Sally.

"Aha!", came the excited reply. Quatre picked up a long stick from the ground and used it to beat away some thick foliage.

"This is it!" he replied elatedly, "Yes!!"

In a few seconds, he had managed to clear a small hole in the bushes lining the path. Sally could now see what he was getting excited about.

A small, rustic, wooden style sat hiding in the undergrowth. Sally grabbed a stick and helped him clear the foliage away, enough so that they could climb through.

Quatre was grinning to himself,

"It's exactly how I remember it!" he beamed. "I'd imagine that this path hasn't been trodden since way before the war began."

In a few minutes they had cleared sufficient undergrowth to cross over the style. The narrow path beyond was under a canopy of fur trees and had hardly overgrown at all. Quatre was the first to climb the style. At the top, he turned round and reached his hand back for Sally, helping her up. They both jumped down onto the soft, pine needle floor and began walking the new, narrow path.

"So where does it lead to?", asked Sally once again

Quatre just returned his enigmatic grin again. "You'll see!", he chanted once again, "Don't worry, It's not far now"

Quatre was being slightly secretive, not wanting to reveal too much about where they were going. Sally was intrigued to know where it was that Quatre was taking her, but she could also see that he really wanted to surprise her. If it was one thing she had come to learn about him, it was that he loved to surprise people. He seemed to take his greatest pleasure from seeing the look on people's faces when he did things they were not expecting. He particularly loved to present gifts to the people close to him. Not horrendously expensive, lavish presents, but just small, simple, thoughtful presents, the sort of gift that meant more to a person at the time than the richest or most luxurious things ever could.

Sally liked surprises, so she decided not to ask anymore, she would just go along with whatever Quatre was planning. After all, she was still having a great time, and thoroughly enjoying just the two of them spending some quality time together.

The small pine forest path was quite dark, but soon began to change into a lighter, more deciduous Woodland. In the distance, they could hear the sound of running water, not just running, but water that seemed to be cascading from a great height. The path had been sloping downhill for the past half a mile or so.

Quatre was in his element. As they walked, he reminisced again about his previous visits when he was just a boy.

"It's all exactly how I remember it!" he kept exclaiming excitedly to Sally, continually scanning his eyes all around, "Hardly anything has changed, It's like going back in time!"

Sally smiled as Quatre continued to walk quietly a couple of paces ahead of her on the narrow path. She realised she could see a change in him; she was witnessing a very magical side of his personality. At that moment, Quatre seemed to be radiating a quiet innocence. An almost child-like presence of wonder and awe as he took in his surroundings, his jaw constantly open.

She observed him with quiet adoration as they walked.

Her love for him was growing by the day, more so than ever on this day, although not necessarily in the romantic sense. They were like two kindred spirits who connected on a level that seemed to take them beyond friendship, and they both realised and understood that what they had was very special.

As the sounds on the falling water came much closer, Quatre suddenly stopped on the path and turned around, beaming a huge grin.

Sally returned the grin. "What?" she asked.

"We're here", he beamed, "Or at least we will be in a moment".

Sally looked ahead of them where the path seemed to disappear round the corner into some thick bushes and undergrowth. Quatre reached out and took Sally's hand.

"You have to close your eyes now" he grinned, "and promise me you will not open them until I say"

Sally knew he had been waiting a long time to show her this. She complied without questioning him by placing her free hand over her eyes.

"Ok Cat, I promise", she replied, still grinning.

Quatre took her hand and placed it on his shoulder strap as he turned back to face the path.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall or trip, I'll be very careful", he assured her.

"Ok, thanks", she replied, giggling slightly as she felt Quatre slowly start to walk forward again.

She followed closely, all the time he gently held her hand to his shoulder

"Now Promise me you won't peek", asked Quatre, "It will spoil the surprise"

She could hear the smile still in his voice. She was determined not to look. Thoughts of cheating on him and taking a sneak preview did not even enter into her mind.

"I promise Cat", she replied, her voice still a little giggly and nervous at the prospect of falling over. She moved her hand from over her eyes to onto Quatre's other shoulder to steady herself better, still keeping her eyes shut tight.

A few moments later she could feel Quatre lead them around the bend in the path and knew they had entered into some kind of opening, because her eyelids suddenly lit up as they stepped into warm sunlight. The sound of the cascading water also suddenly seemed much louder as the vegetation was no longer shielding it.

"Are we out of the forest?" she asked.

"Sort of... yes and no", came the riddled reply.

"What do you mean?", she asked.

"Well...why don't you see for yourself", replied Quatre in a strangely subdued, almost whispered voice, "Open your eyes Sal."

Chapter Two

Sally opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. As she saw what lay before them, her face lit up with astonishment, and disbelief. She exhaled a loud gasp beaming a huge, wondrous smile.

"Its... it's so beautiful!" she gasped, almost unable to speak.

They stood, elevated, on the edge of a huge, sloping, almost circular clearing in the forest. Nestled on the forest floor way below them was a large crystal clear lagoon, its emerald-tinted water sparkling in the sunlight. To the far side of the lagoon was a sheer cliff-face that towered high above them, down which cascaded one of the most spectacular and beautiful waterfalls Sally had ever seen. Colourful, tropical-looking plants and lush green, wild vegetation dominated the whole scene. Blossom seemed to grow everywhere in abundance, particularly in deep reds, yellows, and whites, the sweet smell of their nectar carried throughout the entire area by the subtlest breeze.

"It's... It's a paradise!" she exclaimed excitedly, her jaw open, still struggling to find the words.

"We used to call it the secret lagoon", replied Quatre quietly smiling, still looking out across the almost heavenly paradise.

Suddenly something caught his eye. He quickly pointed to a large flowering bush growing out of the sloping ground below them.

"Look! there!", he whispered excitedly, as his face lit up like that of a kid on Christmas morning. Sally looked. A small, fantastically colourful bird with a long pointed bill skilfully hovered around the foilage, delicately poking it's nose into each of the trumpet like flowers for a few seconds, before moving on to the next.

Sally looked back at Quatre, her face beaming, radiating complete joy,

"It's a humming bird!" she gasped excitedly, "I've never seen one in the wild before!"

She turned back to observe it some more.

Quatre began to feel a warm glow inside as the memories from the better days in his childhood continued to come flooding back. Seeing Sally's reaction was a bonus. He was so happy that she could see why this place was so special to him, and even more happy that she was so touched by its beauty and mystique. They could have stood there all day, continuing to be awe-struck by its beauty, but Quatre was keen to explore further, curious as to what other memories he could stir.

He scooped his arm inside hers and pulled close to her side.

"Come on Sal, Let's go down there", he said, slowly easing her away from the mesmerising view.

Sally nodded,

"Yes, I'd love to", she spoke softly, "Can we get near the water?" she asked, "I wonder how cold it is?"

Quatre smiled,

"The water is always warm; I used to swim in it when I was a kid". He stopped and pointed down to the water,

"You see those bubbles coming up?"

Sal nodded.

"That's a hot spring; it keeps the water warm all year round"

Sally laughed, "If I'd have known, I would have brought my swimming costume!"

They negotiated their way down the sometimes, rather precarious slope, until they reached the base of the forest floor level with the water. Quatre lead them through a system of shady trees and thick vegetation before they finally emerged onto a large open platform of short grass. About twenty or so paces ahead of them the grass area merged into a short width of rocky sand before finally meeting the waters edge.

They stepped from the shadows into the warm sunlight that seemed to fill the whole clearing, making the natural colours of the place glow with radiance and life. They wandered over and stood at the edge of the small, inland beach staring in awe at the huge cascading waterfall that towered above them. Sally pointed out the small rainbow she could see created by the sunlight in the slight mist produced by the splashing water. She gasped in wonderment again,

"I never knew such a paradise could exist on Earth", she whispered.

The water looked so inviting. She tugged at Quatre's arm,

"Come on Cat, Let's go for a paddle," she grinned.

Quatre nodded eagerly, and minutes later after discarding their rucksacks, boots and socks they were stood knee deep in the crystal clear, warm water. Sally began exploring off to the left, following the shoreline to see how near she could get to the waterfall before it got too deep. Quatre stayed put, just standing near to where they had first entered the water.

He stared down at his submerged toes as memories of his childhood came flooding back to him again. He recollected himself being about six or seven years old and standing in almost the very same spot, looking curiously down at his small feet being magnified and distorted by the clear water, his first practical lesson in the laws of light refraction. As he drifted further into his memories he could subconsciously hear the laughter of some of his sisters playfully swimming and splashing around in the water. On the bank sat his father, smiling, relaxing, and watching over his children as they played without a care in the world.

Quatre remembered how he used to swim out about halfway to the waterfall and dive down into the depths of the lagoon trying to pick up pebbles from the bottom.

Back then, the lagoon seemed so much larger, Just to swim out to its centre seemed like an expedition in it's self, yet now, stood only a few metres from the shore, Quatre felt like he could almost reach out and touch the waterfall. The thought stayed with him for a while. He pondered on why his memories recalled the lagoon being so much larger, until he remembered that he was actually a very small kid. At seven years old, he was barely four and a half feet tall, so, obviously, the world would have seemed a much bigger place to such a pint-sized person. Only when he hit his teens did Quatre really begin to sprout into the normal sized teenager he had become today.

He took a couple of steps sideways and quietly perched on a large, flat boulder that protruded from the grassy bank into the water. The abundance of the memories flashing back in his mind was beginning to make him feel a little sad. The last time he had set eyes on this place, he was just an innocent child, without a care in the world. Now, some eight years on, he was practically an adult, forced to grow up way too quickly as a result of the war.

The same eyes that once looked upon this place as an untouchable, safe haven where only magical and wondrous things could happen now looked upon this place knowing that it could all so easily be taken away in an instant.

With the knowledge of all of the terrible things that he had witnessed during the war, his childhood memories now seemed tainted somehow. Despite the place being untouched or spoiled by time, in a sense, it no longer really felt like the magical place that his memories were so keen to hold on to. He felt a slight sinking in his heart, a strange, deep, inner-sadness he could not easily explain. It was a bit like going to visit an old friend, only to discover that when you got there, they had passed away a long time ago.

As he sat, eyes half-closed, contemplating his feelings further, he pulled his wet feet up onto the boulder. He wrapped his arms around his legs, pressing his chin onto his knees, trying to draw comfort from the pangs of loneliness he was starting to feel.

A short while later he felt a pair of arms tenderly wrap themselves around him. Waking him from an almost, trance-like state. He glanced sideways to see Sally perching beside him on the boulder, leaning toward him, looking at him with compassion. She looked serious.

"Quatre, what's wrong?" she asked in a whispered voice. She could see the slight glazed look of sadness in his eyes. Quatre paused, sighing gently.

"Oh... Just memories", he replied equally as quietly, "So many memories, they've all come flooding back."

Sally did not push for more answers. She could see he was in a deeply contemplative mood, but she could also detect the sadness he seemed to be radiating. Still with her arms around him, she tenderly laid her head on his shoulder and joined him looking out across the water.

They sat there silently for several minutes before Quatre finally disturbed them by putting his feet back down into the water. Sally sat up and took a deep breath. She felt so relaxed and contented.

With renewed enthusiasm, Quatre grinned at her.

"What?" she asked.

Quatre hesitated for a moment.

"Come on", he said standing up in the water and offered her his hand. She took it and he led them back to the pebble shore and then up to the open grass area. He let go of her for a moment to scoop up the rucksacks and shoes they had discarded earlier.

After placing the items neatly at the foot of a large palm tree's trunk near the water, he turned back, offering his hand to her again.

"Come on, there's something else I want to show you", he said.

Sally smiled at him again,

"You mean there's more?" she asked in a surprised voice.

Quatre beamed a knowing smile at her,

"You'll like this", he replied.

He gently pulled on her arm and led them towards the rear of the grassy area, entering into a narrow gap between two large shrubs. They spent the next few minutes walking, still barefoot, along a dry, dusty earth path which wound it's way through a thickly forested area until, eventually, they came to a tall rock-face and what looked like a cave entrance. It was quite dark, but they could see light just a few feet through.

"It gets a little narrow here", commented Quatre, "so watch your head."

They cautiously shuffled through the narrow cave entrance and moments later were on the other side, stood in what looked like a series of tall, narrow caves, but with no roofs. Open blue sky sat above them as they followed a small series of narrow channels between the tall rock-faces.

"Almost there!" commented Quatre excitedly, "I hope it hasn't changed too much."

"What hasn't changed too much?" asked Sally, hoping for an idea or a clue as to what they were about to see. Quatre just turned and grinned at her

"You'll see" he replied, refusing to give any further clues.

Eventually, they came to one final narrowing.

"After you", gestured Quatre.

Without hesitation, Sally, keen to see whatever it was Quatre wanted to show her, shuffled through the opening.

Moments later, they were stood on a large, tropical cove beach. Sally gave a quiet gasp.

Quatre stood beside her.

"Yes!" he exclaimed excitedly, "It hasn't changed one bit."

The sand beneath their feet was as white as sand could possibly be. It sat unspoiled right out to the clear, deep turquoise-blue sea some sixty-or-so paces ahead of them. The huge, unspoiled beach stretched for about a mile in each direction. Large, plant and vegetation-rich rock-faces capped the cove at either end, with dense, palm-tree vegetation sweeping around the back of the entire cove, completing the incredibly wondrous picture. The place was totally deserted, devoid of even the slightest signs of Humanity.

"Very few people know of this place", grinned Quatre.

"Oh Cat! This whole area is so beautiful", replied Sally, still awe-struck by the view.

Quatre grinned again; he had a slightly playful look in his eye.

"C'mon, I'll race you!" he called as he began running towards the sea.

Sally grinned, and quickly took off after him. Moments later they were jumping about in the sea, splashing water at each other as they laughed and giggled like two excited little kids.

Quatre was the first to fall over. After tripping on a concealed pebble, he wound up sitting on his butt in a few inches of water. The shocked, but still grinning looks on his face sent waves of laughter over Sally. He got up in time to miss the next incoming wave, but the damage had been done and he knew he would have to endure soggy shorts for the next few hours, or at least until they dried out.

After their few minutes of madness, and still beaming, Sally helped him brush the wet sand off before gently taking hold of his arm and placing it in hers. Then they began a slow stroll along the shoreline, taking time to just talk, and to just be with each other, at the same time, relaxing in the natural beauty and warmth of their surroundings.

Over an hour later, they arrived back at the Lagoon, both a little tired from all the fresh air.

"You hungry?" asked Quatre

"Starving!" replied Sally.

They walked over to the tree where Quatre had put their rucksacks and boots earlier. Sally sat on the grass and leaned back against the tree trunk, whilst Quatre opened the larger of the two bags and peered in. Moments later he looked up at Sally with a grin.

"You like Champagne?" he asked, pulling from the bag a half sized bottle and two crystal glasses.

"Wow! Champagne!" commented Sally "Actually I love it, that is, whenever I get the chance to drink it"

Quatre scrutinised the label on the bottle for a moment then laughed out.

"James... Bless him!" he grinned, "its alcohol free Champagne!"

A few minutes later they were sat next to each other, both leaning against the tree, enjoying a variety of gastronomic treats, like smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches followed by some rather rich chocolate fudge cake. Quatre picked up his Champagne glass and held it out in front of them; he looked at Sally with a caring smile.

"A toast", he said quietly.

Sally reached down and picked up her own glass, reaching it out to join his.

"To friendship", replied Quatre simply, "May ours be as enduring and as long lasting as Gundanium alloy."

"Yes, to friendship" repeated Sally, smiling, gently tapping their glasses together, "To a very special friendship".

It was almost an hour when Sally finally stirred from her wonderfully peaceful doze. Quatre was still sleeping peacefully, lying on his back, stretched out on the soft warm grass with his head resting in her lap. She remained leaning back against the tree trunk.

Sally could not remember another time when she had felt so wonderfully relaxed. The Sun was still beating its warmth down upon them both, although she could sense that the evening was not too far away. She looked down at the blond youth's head she was cradling on her lap and smiled compassionately.

"He looks so endearing when he's sleeping", she thought silently, grinning to herself.

She observed him for a few moments. His hands clasped loosely together resting lightly against his stomach, elbows propped on the soft grass beneath. She watched the rising and falling action of his upper body, his breath slow, relaxed, and unflustered. Reaching down she tenderly began to run her fingers through his soft blond hair, slowly, gently caressing and twisting it in her fingers. He seemed to purr quietly with contentment as she delicately ran her finger across his forehead, tracing it down the length of his nose to the tip.

Taking a deep breath, Quatre slowly opened his eyes and looked up dreamily into hers. He smiled.

"Hey, sleepy", she whispered calmly, smiling back at him, continuing to caress his hair. Quatre closed his eyes in a slow-motion blink, and gave a contented hum, followed by a long, deep sigh. He didn't want this moment to end. He could not recall another time where he had felt so relaxed, so at peace with himself, the world, or those around him. Sally could sense Quatre's contentment. It gave her a great feeling of warmth inside her heart to see him so genuinely, and unreservedly happy for a change.

They sat there for a while longer enjoying the moment.

Eventually it was Quatre who moved first. He finally took a deep breath and sighed, then reluctantly, very reluctantly, hauled himself up into a sitting position, turning to face Sally.

He scanned the sky and surroundings with his eyes before eventually bringing them back to rest on Sally again.

"I guess we should start thinking about heading back. James will be arriving soon", he said, still with a dreamy expression. Sally reluctantly nodded in agreement.

As they, unenthusiastically, put their shoes back on, they hardly spoke a word. Both seemed to be savouring the remaining few minutes of their time in this heavenly paradise, before they would have to leave it behind and return home.

"We absolutely HAVE to do that again!" commented Sally as they walked back along the pine-forest path towards the old wooden style. Quatre nodded agreeing enthusiastically,

"Oh' Sal, I've had such a great time today", he said, "I couldn't have had better company, Thank you for allowing me to share that with you", his tone was appreciative.

"No Quatre, thank YOU!" she contradicted, beaming an appreciative smile, "Thank you so much for such a wonderful time. The memories I have of today, I will cherish forever".

Quatre smiled, not responding verbally. He stepped up on the style, turned and reached his hand back for Sally, helping her back on to the overgrown woodland path.

Within twenty minutes, they were back in the Rolls Royce, silently whisking their way back along the numerous small, green country roads heading for home. It was perfect timing, James had arrived moments before they reached the gate from where they first embarked on their memorable visit to the secret lagoon.

They said very little in the car on the way home. They mostly looked out of the windows, watching the world go by, and watching the sun slowly disappearing below the distant horizon. Occasionally, they glanced toward each other, smiling, sometimes they held hands, as they both contemplated and digested the simple, yet wondrous events of the day.

Quatre kept periodically glancing at his watch. He had one more surprise tucked up his sleeve for Sally, but timing was of the essence.

Chapter Three

Within an hour, they pulled up on the long drive to the Winner mansion. It was almost fully dark, but the warm glow from the Georgian windows of the mansion was a welcoming sight. A minute or so later the car stopped at the base of the stone steps leading up to the main entrance.

James opened Sally's door and she stepped out onto the white gravel drive. Quatre walked round and stood beside her. He took her arm in his and pulled her close, beaming a slightly mischievous expression as he looked her in the eye.

Sally looked at him. She knew he was up to something.

"What... What is it?" she asked grinning back.

"Nothing" he replied, "Come on."

He led them up the steps to the large, double oak doors.

As they approached, two unseen operatives opened the doors. They stepped into the darkened reception hall. Sally could feel Quatre's grip tighten on her arm.

"Why's it so dark in here?" she asked, slightly confused as to what was going on. Suddenly the lights came on.

"SURPRISE!" Called a unison of many grinning and laughing faces stood before them, followed by a sudden torrent of exploding party poppers and paper streamers raining down mainly on Sally, although Quatre caught quite a few of them too. Laughter filled the large echoing room.

"What the?!!" stuttered Sally jumping in surprise, gripping Quatre's arm even more tightly.

Before them, stood a small assembly of the people she considered to be her closest friends and comrades during the war. There were the four other Gundam pilots, Duo, Heero, Trowa and of course Wufei. Also present was Noin, Catherine, and Hilde, who was hanging on to Duo's arm. Even Relena had managed to attend.

Noin was the first one to step forward and greet Sally.

"Oh, Sally!" she beamed radiantly. Noin gently gripped Sal by the arms, leaning in to give her a peck on the cheek.

"You're looking wonderful," she said, "Happy Birthday!"

Sally eagerly greeted her back, smiling, "Hey! Noin! It's so great to see you again", she said, trying to engage in a brief conversation,

"But how did you know it was my…" before she could finish her sentence, the rest of the group, all sporting smiling, excited faces stepped forward and began crowding around and greeting her.

"Happy Birthday Sally!" called a number of voices from the group. "Yes, Happy birthday!"

After several minutes of exchanging hugs and pecks on the cheek from just about everyone in the room, Sally stood back, beaming radiantly. She gave a happy sigh.

"A surprise party? For me?... Oh! You guys!" she was a little lost for words.

"I didn't think you guys knew when my birthday was." she commented.

Quatre stepped beside her, placing his arm in hers once again.

"Hey! You're not the only one with reliable intelligence sources around here you know!" he joked. The others laughed.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing with his free hand, then gently urging her towards the closed double doors leading to the grand reception room at the far side of the Hall. Sally nodded, and walked with him. As they stepped forward, the small, smiling, gathering of friends stepped aside, forming an isle of people, and as Quatre and sally walked down the isle, their friends joined in behind them on their march towards the reception room doors.

As they approached, one of the doors opened and Sally's face quickly lit up at the scene beyond.

In the slightly dim room sat a large, long banqueting table, set ready for a feast. Lit red candles sat eloquently in golden holders placed along its length. The warm light sparkled off the seemingly endless sea of highly polished cutlery and tableware forming individual place settings for the whole group.

Kennet, Quatre's butler stepped out from behind the door he had just opened,

"Dinner is ready Master Quatre." He spoke loyally, respectfully.

"Thank you Kennet", he replied, "I think we're ready." he looked to Sally for conformation.

She nodded eagerly.

"Starving!" she grinned.

A few minutes later the whole group was sat around the table, continuing to engage in light, enthusiastic conversation and laughter as a number of catering staff began to serve the first course. Sally was still a little dumbstruck by the whole thing. Being the guest of honour, she was, of course, at the head of the table. Sat next to her on one side was Quatre, and on the other, Noin. Next to Noin sat, Heero, Relena, Hilde, and Catherine. On the other side of the table, Trowa sat beside Quatre, followed by Wufei then Duo. The Banqueting table was too large for the relatively small group to completely sit around without huge gaps between individuals, so they were gathered towards one end in a more informal, more intimate arrangement.

"I can't believe you all went to so much trouble for me," sally commented to the group. Most of the Gundam pilots verbally leaped to her defence.

"Hey! Sal, we wanted to do this," said Duo.

"Yes, Sally, this was something we all wanted to do, you deserve it," piped up Wufei.

Quatre leaned in close to her, "The guys and I have all wanted to do this for a long time," he commented.

The main course was Chicken, in a most amazing coriander and lime sauce. Quatre had employed his favourite chef to cook the meal. The room remained fairly quiet as they ate.

When everyone had finished the main course, Duo and Trowa discretely nodded to Quatre, and got up from their chairs.

"Excuse us for a couple of minute's guys," said Trowa before they disappeared through the service door at the side of the room.

Moments later, the room lights suddenly dimmed, the main double doors opened and the two absent pilots appeared in the doorway holding a very large, iced cake, decorated with many lit candles. They walked carefully into the room and placed it on the table in front of Sally as the whole group stood up and broke into a somewhat tuneless and rather giggly chorus of happy birthday.

Once finished, Sally blew the candles out with one blow, the others applauded.

"Don't forget to make a wish!" called Noin.

The lights went back up again, and many of the group got their first glimpse of the cake in the light. There was an odd silence. Sally looked down at the cake. She wanted to express her surprise and gratitude but something was inadvertently holding her back.

"Not the usual Winner household standard" came an involuntary voice inside her head as she examined the cake with odd curiosity.

The cake was a rather squat, oddly shaped specimen in serious need of a re-make. It was trying very hard to be square in shape, but was more, well… actually it didn't seem to be any particular shape at all!

The dark chocolate icing was trying to be smooth, but looked more like a 3D satellite image of a mountain range on which the small, round chocolate buttons were finding it extremely difficult to sit flat. The frilly decorative surround half-disappeared under a thick overlap of icing on one side of the cake, whilst several points of its surface didn't have any icing at all.

Duo suddenly laughed out, breaking the silence as he took in the full extent of the poorest excuse for a cake he had ever seen in his life.

"Its funny, it didn't seem to look that bad when we were making it", he mused.

"Yes, it did", replied Wufei dryly, in an attempt to disassociate himself with any part of its construction.

Sally suddenly twigged on to what Duo just said.

"You… you mean you guys actually _made_ this cake for me?" she asked sounding a little taken aback.

Quatre leaned in.

"The guys made this today when we were out on our daytrip", he informed her.

"Slaved over a hot stove for hours!" remarked Duo humorously, "Just the four of us, oh, and a cook book."

"Well, you know what they say about too many cooks!" commented Trowa, "Sorry about the finish Sal. We'll try to get some more practice before your next birthday"

Sally gave a quiet, appreciative coo as suddenly, the cake's appearance became irrelevant to her. She loved it. Suddenly it became the most beautiful cake she had ever seen.

"Oh guys! Don't worry about that, it's wonderful! It's so wonderful; you actually went to all this trouble? Just for me?" she replied excitedly, "You actually baked me a cake... that's just so sweet! Oh! Thank you so much", she got up from her chair and quickly went to each of the pilots, Duo, Heero Wufei and Trowa, giving each of them a brief, gentle hug as the others looked on with smiles.

When she sat back down, Quatre handed her a knife,

"Why don't you cut it", he suggested.

"Yes, Put it out of its misery", replied Wufei in a serious tone, much to the quiet amusement of the group.

A few minutes later everyone had a piece of the cake on a small plate on front of them. As soon as Sally started, the others followed suit, each taking a bite.

First impressions were favourable, until, very quickly, everyone started crunching on a rather gritty substance that seemed to dwell within the sponge. There were several hums and sounds of slight discomfort as everyone started picking hard bits from their mouths.

"Heero!" said Duo in urgent annoyance.

Heero looked up "What?" he asked innocently.

"When you were mixing the ingredients, and you got to the eggs, You DID shell them first didn't you?" asked Duo in a slightly vexed tone.

Heero thought back to earlier in the day when the four of them had been in the kitchen making the cake. He was adding the ingredients to a large mixing bowl while Duo was reading out instructions from the recipe book. Wufei and Trowa were bringing the ingredients to him from the fridge as Duo called for them. There was a pause.

"You're not saying anything Heero!" commented Duo, almost knowing what was coming next.

Heero's face began to go red.

"You… You didn't say anything about shelling them", he replied defensively.

"AWW HEEROO!!!" Came a cry in unison from the four other pilots as they put down their cakes and pushed their plates away.

"WHAT?!" replied Heero, "What did I do?! Duo was the one reading the instructions out!"

"Hey! Give me a break Heero! Don't you go blaming me!" replied Duo defensively.

By now the rest of the group was close to bursting out with laughter. They all glanced toward each other, desperately trying not to show their amusement yet, eager to listen in on the developing dialogue between Heero and Duo.

"Hey! You just said add the eggs! You never said anything about shelling them!" protested Heero, desperately trying to defend his position. "Add five eggs, that's what you said, and that's exactly what I did! If you've got to blame anyone, blame… blame that stupid cook book!"

"Heero! Anyone who's got half a brain would know you can't eat eggshells!" replied Duo.

"Well I didn't know OK! Mr bloody Zen master of knowledge! I've never cooked before!" replied Heero firmly, now more embarrassed than anything else at his blatantly obvious and stupid mistake.

His last comments were more than the others could take. Starting with Noin, the whole group quickly burst into a wave of loud, hysterical laughter.

Heero folded his arms, pouting. His face by now was scarlet, but through the loudness of the laughter, Heero heard a single voice come from across the table.

"Hey, don't worry about it Heero, it was just an honest mistake."

He looked up to see Quatre smiling at him. It was a simple reminder to Heero that he really was among true friends.

Still looking at Quatre, slowly, the edges of his mouth began to turn upwards until eventually he joined in the laughter, laughing at himself for being so foolish.

Wufei leaned towards Heero, "Hey! You might be one hell of a pilot, but you sure make one lousy cook!"

The meal continued into the evening… minus the cake.

Everyone chatted enthusiastically catching up on old times. For many of the group, the last time they had seen each other was in the tail end of the war, they were all keen to learn how everyone was getting on and coping with civilian life.

Coffee's had just been served when Kennet the butler entered the room and approached Heero. He leaned in close to his ear and spoke quietly so not to be overheard.

"Master Yuy, your guest has arrived sir, he's waiting in the study as you requested."

Heero nodded and thanked him. He stood up and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me", he said leaving the table and walking towards the side door, "I'll just be a couple of minutes".

Quatre acknowledged him with a knowing nod as he left.

Heero eagerly made his way down the hallway to the study and quietly opened the door.

By the window, staring out into the darkness stood a boy of about twelve or thirteen years. He didn't seem to notice Heero enter the room. Heero paused, observing him for a moment.

The youngster was tidily dressed, wearing a plain grey short-sleeved shirt and khaki cargo-style trousers with dark soft leather shoes. Besides him on the floor stood a small, rather tatty old brown suitcase.

Heero closed the door and as it clicked shut the boy seemed to break from his solitary staring and quickly turned around.

"Heero!" he gasped, suddenly beaming a huge smile from his markedly handsome face.

"Fumio!" smiled Heero, walking quickly towards him. He reached out and cupped a hand affectionately onto the boys' shoulder.

"You're running late, I was beginning to get a little worried."

"I'm sorry Heero; the lay people had prepared a meal in honour of my going away. I couldn't insult them by leaving early" explained the rather small-framed boy, his voice apologetic.

Heero nodded, understanding his situation.

"Oh It's alright, I'm just glad you made it ok. I thought for a while that you might have changed your mind about coming here."

The crop haired youth glanced up at Heero cocking his head to one side in a serious, slightly confused look.

"I made a promise to you Heero; I would never break a promise."

Heero nodded, sighing.

"I know, I guess I was just concerned that you'd lost your nerve, that's all."

Fumio suddenly went quiet. He didn't respond verbally, just looked up at Heero, his big cobalt blue eyes began to glaze slightly.

"You're not still worried about this are you? Fumio?"

Again, Fumio did not respond verbally, but an expression of worry began to appear on his face as he reluctantly nodded.

"Hey! Look," whispered Heero, gently gripping him by the shoulders, "I understand you must be feeling like a fish out of water right now. Moving away from the security of the Monastery and everything familiar to you is a big step, but we both know that it had to be done, and we both know why." Heero spoke firmly, yet, with an unusually caring tone.

Fumio reluctantly nodded again, still looking sad

"I'm gonna help get you through this, just like I promised I would, you just have to be strong for a little while longer, that's all. OK?"

"O…Ok Heero" came the subdued reply.

"I promise, I'm not going to leave your side until this is all over… We're in this together, and we'll see it through together ok?... OK?... Fumio?"

Fumio nodded again.

"You're my kid brother for crying out loud! I'm gonna look out for you."

Heero's words were enough to ease Fumio away from his worries. He responded by slowly looking up and forming a slight grin, hiding away his unhappiness for now.

"There! That's more like it." smiled Heero kindly.

For a long time Heero had wanted to tell the others about Fumio, his only family, but during the war, there were many complications and risks preventing him from doing so. Only now, nearly six months after the wars' end was he finally prepared to let go of his doubts and make it known.

He stepped back for a moment looking Fumio over. It was the first time in years he had seen his brother wearing something other than a Buddhist monk's attire, and he was finding it a little strange to adjust to. He wanted to comment, but figured that perhaps now would not be a good time. It was obvious that Fumio was already missing the security of the monastery, his home for the past four years, so bringing it up in conversation would only keep reminding him of it and make him sad again.

"So, are you ready to meet the others?"

Fumio smiled, and nodded slowly.

"You still nervous about this?"

Fumio nodded again, "Definitely" he grinned.

Heero smiled, "Well, you've no need to be." He suggested. "I consider them to be more than just friends. They're some of the kindest people you will ever meet; they're like a family to me. I promise you Fumio, they'll welcome you with open arms."

Fumio nodded, but didn't appear too convinced. He glanced up at Heero with a questioning look.

"Do they… Do they know? You know… about me?" he asked hesitantly, "I know you said you wanted tell them, but only when the time was right"

Heero paused before answering, as if he had been caught off-guard.

"Well… Err… Actually, Quatre is the only one who knows about you at the moment. I entrusted him to make certain security arrangements before you arrived. He's also the one I'm trusting to help us with what lies ahead. I decided tonight was the right time to tell the others, and I'm actually planning to tell them right now."

Fumio listened carefully, still not looking entirely comfortable.

"So… you ready to meet them, or do you want some time to get your head in order?"

"No, lets do it now", replied Fumio, keen to get this particular exercise over with. Heero nodded and gestured towards the door.

They left the room and wandered silently along the hallway, coming to a halt outside the door to the Grand Reception room where the others could be heard chatting and laughing.

Fumio agreed to wait outside and out of sight until Heero had the chance to explain the situation to the others. He stood just around the corner from the door, listening and waiting for Heero's signal.

Before going in, Heero cupped a hand gently onto Fumio's shoulder again.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine." he assured.

Fumio smiled back as he watched Heero open the door and walk into the room.

Chapter Four

As Heero entered, the others glanced towards him.

"Hey Heero! We were getting ready to send out the search parties," Duo grinned.

Heero smiled back, acknowledging the comments, then walked over and crouched himself down between Quatre and Sally's chairs.

"Everything OK Heero?" whispered Quatre, knowing exactly where he had just been.

"Yep, all set."

Quatre gave a nod and Heero turned to Sally.

"Hey Sal" he said cheerfully, yet seriously, "I know this is your party, but would you mind if I made an announcement?"

"Of course Heero, you don't need to ask me, Go right ahead."

Heero smiled, and patted her on the arm as he stood up. He grabbed a fork and an empty glass and began tapping on it loudly until the room fell silent. All eyes were looking his way. He cleared his throat.

"Um... Guys... I've got a bit of a confession to make, so I thought it would be more appropriate to make it whilst everyone was together..."

The others watched and listened quietly.

"It's difficult to know quite where to begin... So I guess I better just come out with it", he spoke hesitantly, "The fact is... I've been keeping something from all of you."

"You're really a woman trapped in a man's body?" bleated Duo without warning.

"Duo!" snapped Sally, "Behave yourself!" she grinned.

The room suddenly roared with laughter again. Noin had just taken a mouthful of coffee and nearly spat it out across the table whilst Relena started choking on the cookie she had just bitten into.

Heero tried to glare at Duo in protest, but found himself grinning too.

"Come on Duo, this is important, I'm trying to be serious here!" he protested.

Duo smiled at him, putting his palms out in front of him in apologetic submission.

"OK, OK... sorry Heero, It just kind-of slipped out… couldn't resist!"

Heero began tapping the glass again, until everyone settled down and the room fell silent once again. As he tried to start speaking again, he grinned slightly, reminiscing on Duo's comment. He cleared his throat again.

"Err… firstly… for the record… No! I'm not a woman trapped in a man's body… but thank you Duo for the slightly disturbing image I now have in my head."

Everyone smiled and chortled quietly.

"Actually this is an important thing that I want to tell you, so I need to get serious for a moment." The room quietened again.

"As I said, there is something that I've been keeping from you. Not just you guys, but it's something I've kept from absolutely everyone. For the record, I haven't enjoyed keeping you in the dark, I haven't enjoyed it one bit. There have been a number of times where I've really wanted to tell you this, but the risk until now has just been too great."

As he spoke to the seated group, he began slowly moving around the room, periodically gripping the backs of people's chairs. Everyone in the room was listening carefully to his words with a degree of fascination. They were intrigued to know about this, until now, unknown secret that was obviously such a big deal.

"Now we are in peacetime, the past months have convinced me that another war is most unlikely, at least, not in our lifetimes, and it's only now, in these conditions that I am willing to tell you this…"

He came to a halt at the back of Sally's chair and gently gripped the backrest.

"There is a significant element from my past that I've been forced to keep secret for many years."

Heero looked serious, his voice began to sound sullen. He glanced sideways towards the open door and spotted Fumio lurking apprehensively in the corridor discreetly watching him, listening to his every word. As their eyes met, Heero's head began to fill with many painful memories from the past. He paused for a moment as he contemplated what he was about to announce, then gave a deep sigh.

"Well… that all changes now" he said, his voice lowered to a whisper.

He offered Fumio a discreet, very slight smile as a gesture of reassurance before peeling his eyes back to the group. Taking a deep breath, he tried to pull himself out of the gloomy mood he was falling into. He cleared his throat and continued.

"Now, I know most of you think that I was orphaned at a very young age and have no other family." his voice picking up again, "Well in truth…that's not entirely true."

Hero began to get hesitant as he grew nearer to the moment of truth.

"You see… well, the simple fact is… I have a Brother."

His statement was met with soft, suppressed gasps from around the room and quietened 'ohhh!'s from the ladies whilst the guys just looked a little dumbstruck.

Surprisingly, Wufei was first to comment;

"You have a Brother?" he spoke quietly, "Hey, that's great Heero."

"Yeah that's great Heero!" chirped Noin excitedly.

There were positive nods and whispers from the others.

"Hey, That's so cool!" came another voice.

"Hey Heero, that's good news," commented Duo, "but why wait until now to tell us? Why all the secrecy?"

Noin cleared her throat and shuffled forward in her chair,

"Actually Duo I think can answer that one for you" she spoke, looking to Heero for approval to continue. A nod gave her the go-ahead.

She continued,

"Duo, we had many enemies during the war. Right now I could list several particularly nasty factions and individuals that wouldn't have hesitated in using this information to their advantage."

"Imagine if word got out that Heero had family," she continued, "They wouldn't have thought twice about using him to get to Heero and possibly the rest of us, Heero's brother would have become a lucrative target".

Sally joined in, backing Noin,

"Yes, Heero had no choice but to keep quiet. It was the only thing he could have done."

Duo nodded, finally understanding his fellow pilots' caution.

"So come on Heero, tell us about him then," asked Sally enthusiastically.

"What's his name? What's he like? And where's he been hiding all this time?"

Heero nodded, understanding the excited curiosity he was now being faced with.

"Well, his name is Fumio; he's twelve and has spent the past four-or-so years living at the Sakuragoaka Monastery up in the foothills on the other side of town."

"You mean…?" Spoke Wufei, suddenly sounding as enthusiastic as Sally, "You mean he's…"

"Yes Wufei… He's a Buddhist monk."

An odd, almost respectful silence filled the room for a moment.

"Wow, he lives in a monastery Heero?" asked Relena, "I wonder what must that be like for him?"

"Oh he seems to love it there, but…" he paused. A slight grin appearing on his face as he knew he was about to surprise everyone for a second time.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"You mean he's HERE?!" came a number of simultaneous, surprised voices.

Heero smiled broadly, and nodded.

"He's just outside", he grinned, "He's been looking forward to meeting you guys for ages, but…" He paused, donning a more serious look again, "but he's nervous, so go easy on him ok?" he whispered.

Heero gestured with his arm towards the open door,

"It's ok Fumio, you can come in." he called.

All eyes were focused on the doorway as the small anxious boy slowly, and somewhat reluctantly, peered around from behind the doorframe.

On sight of him a number of the ladies, particularly Noin and Hilde, gave a quiet, whispered "Ohh!" other whilst the guys just looked on, smiling.

"Hey there Fumio!" gestured Duo cheerfully, "Come in, it's ok we don't bite! Honest!"

Slowly, timidly, Fumio stepped into the room, his nervous smile trying hard to disguise the awkward anxiety he was feeling inside. Heero walked over to him and placed an arm firmly across the boy's shoulders.

"Guys, I want you to Meet Fumio, my brother, Fumio, Meet the guys" he gestured with his other hand.

Everyone donned their best friendly smiles as warm words of greeting were offered to him.

"Hello", was the timid reply, a slight tremble apparent in his voice. The girls quietly started up another chorus of "ohhh's" as Fumio sub-consciously began trying to hide himself behind his brother.

Seeing how daunted he appeared to be, Quatre stood up,

"Tell you what guys, why don't we retire to somewhere a little less intimidating, say… the lounge. We can chill-out there for the rest of the evening".

Everyone agreed and began getting up from their chairs. They continued chatting excitedly as they all meandered their way along the long hallway towards the lounge doors at the other end.

As they walked Noin grabbed Sally gently by the arm, pulling her face to Sally's ear,

"Oh Sal, That boy is so cute!" she squealed in an excited whisper.

Sally grinned back at her, "Behave yourself girl!" she whispered, grinning.

Relena overheard the conversation and leaned in,

"Yes Noin, don't forget, he is a monk after all." she commented in a semi-serious tone, "Although, thinking about it, he's one of the cutest looking monks I've ever seen!" she grinned, and began giggling like a naughty schoolgirl.

Sally rolled her eyes and tutted, "Oh no, don't you start as well Relena!" she replied.

"Sal, are you telling me you don't think he's cute?" asked Noin in a surprised tone.

"I didn't say that!" defended Sally. She paused for a moment, "Actually… he's way too cute to be a monk!" her grin intensified, "But someone's got to keep you two in check!" the girls began laughing and giggling again.

Within minutes, they were sat around in the lounge chatting in small groups. It was enough to break the ice, and Fumio spent the next half an hour being introduced to the group one by one.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Fumio San", said Quatre as they shook hands "Heero told me all about you a couple of days ago"

"It is an honour to meet you too Mr Winner," replied Fumio politely in his quiet, unbroken voice. "My brother has told me many good things about you."

Quatre smiled, "Really?" he said, looking up at Heero in surprise.

Heero suddenly looked uncomfortable, then promptly disappeared to the other side of the room to talk with Trowa.

Fumio looked at Quatre again,

"I wanted to thank you for letting me stay here; it is very generous of you."

Quatre smiled,

"Fumio, I want you to understand something about where you are", he replied, "Take a look around the room at the people here".

Fumio did as Quatre asked.

"We regard ourselves as a family, and this, the Winner household, has become our family home. And although our individual lives will often require us to spend our time away from here, everyone knows there will always be a roof, and a welcome for them whenever they need one, and for as long as they need one."

Fumio nodded, understanding.

"The same goes for you now Fumio, you are Heero's brother, and that makes you a part of this family. That means there is a home here for you too should you need one."

Fumio looked stirred by the gesture.

"You have a kind soul Mr Winner", he suggested, "I would like to repay your kindness somehow, but I am just a simple monk, I have nothing of value I can offer."

Quatre smiled compassionately, he felt his heart warm at Fumio's words.

"Oh there's no need to worry yourself about things like that, payment is neither required nor expected, and please, Fumio, call me Cat, or Quatre, or I'll have to start calling you Master Yuy!" Quatre grinned.

"Ok… Mr Quatre."

Quatre's grin intensified,

"No, just Cat."

Heero wandered back over and after some more brief conversation, continued to introduce Fumio to each of the other group members until he had met them all. The boy-monk had taken a particular shine to Noin, and had spent much of his time sat talking with her on one of the sofas.

For another hour-or-so the conversation and laughter continued until Trowa began banging a knife on a wineglass loudly, calling the room to order.

As the room fell silent, the five Gundam pilots gathered themselves around Sally, who had been sat on the centre cushion of one of the three-seat sofas. Quatre sat on the sofa beside her to her left, Wufei to her right, Trowa, Heero and Duo all knelt or sat on the floor immediately in front of her.

"What's going on guys?" she asked, a little uneasy about the five boys' mysterious behaviour.

"We have one more little surprise for you Sally", said Quatre, as the other girls perched on the sofa opposite, and watched with interest.

Trowa spoke up,

"The guys and I, well… given that it's your birthday and all, we just wanted to say 'thank you' for all the things you have done for us over the past year and a half since we have known you.

"Aww guys, you don't need to do this", Sally gently protested.

"We have all wanted to do this for a long time", commented Quatre.

"You have no idea how much we owe to you Sal", added Duo, "I think each of us can safely say that we owe you our lives, in some cases, on several occasions"

"We've all agreed on this point; we don't think any of us would be here today if it wasn't for the sacrifices that you made for us", spoke Heero.

Sally was getting a little emotional, "Oh Guys, you're gonna start me off in a minute", she said grinning, wiping a small tear from her eye.

Quatre and Wufei tenderly placed arms of reassurance around her back as they continued.

"We wanted to get you a gift, something a little bit special", spoke Wufei, "It was difficult to think of what to get you at first…"

"But then we came up with this," spoke Quatre, gesturing for Sally to look at Trowa who was kneeling in front of her. Trowa produced from his pocket a small, royal blue, velour textured box and held it out in front of him, smiling.

Sally saw the box,

"Oh, guys!" she gasped nervously, still close to being overcome with emotion.

"Go on Sal, you can open it", said Wufei.

Sally gingerly took the small box from Trowa's hand and slowly opened it.

As she saw the contents, her face lit up with surprise.

"Oh Guys! It's beautiful!" she gasped in admiration of the small, silvery pendant necklace sat in the box. "It's a St Christopher."

"Actually, it's no ordinary pendant," remarked Quatre

"It's made from Gundanium Alloy." added Duo.

"Gundanium alloy?!" Gasped Sally once more, "but that's… that's impossible… isn't it?"

The five pilots grinned,

"Tell us about it!" replied Duo Humorously, "We had to call in quite a few favours to get it made."

"It's not just any old Gundanium either", spoke Heero.

"It is made from a small piece taken from each of our original five Gundams", spoke Quatre, "I guess it was meant to be a kind-of symbolic gesture."

"And we chose a St Christopher pendant because he is the patron saint of travellers, protecting those who travel", Wufei informed. "We want you to be safe wherever you may go."

"It's also been blessed", added Heero, "by all of the monks at Fumio's monastery."

"Really?" asked Sally looking up at Fumio. He nodded grinning.

"You've become something of a legend among the local Buddhist community!" suggested Heero.

A small tear welled up in Sally's left eye and rolled down her cheek as her emotions started to get the better of her.

"Oh! This is too much!" she sniffed, "Guys, I don't know what to say, I'm so touched, this is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me"

Quatre placed his arm across her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you so much, all of you… I love you guys so much", she leaned forward trying to reach her arms around all of them at the same time. The pilots all leaned in and joined her in the spontaneous group hug.

"I'll wear this forever, I promise… and every time I see it, I will think of you, all of you."

Chapter Five

The informal gathering continued late into the evening, but around ten O'clock, Relena had to start her journey back to the Sanc Kingdom. Running a Nation was no easy feat, and with the end of the war, her life had become unbelievably busy. One evening was all the time she could humanly afford.

Catherine also had to return home to the Circus where she would be performing the next evening, so they decided they would make the initial part of their journey together.

Everyone gathered in the main entrance hall to see them off taking it in turn to say their goodbyes.

"Relena, I still can't believe you came all this way just to be here", said Sally as they hugged.

"Are you kidding Sally!" replied Relena, "I wouldn't have missed this for the world!"

"Thank you so much, It was so great to see you again, looking so well too! I do hope we can meet again soon", replied Sally gratefully.

"You know you're welcome in the Sanc kingdom anytime", suggested Relena, "Anyway, I know we'll meet again soon. I believe Noin has a birthday coming up shortly!" she winked.

Eventually they all made their way outside, down the floodlit stone steps to Quatre's awaiting Rolls Royce that was ready to take Catherine home, and Relena to the airport. As the car drove away, everyone waved and called until it disappeared into the darkness.

Slowly, everyone made his or her way back up the steps. The rest of the group would be staying at the mansion that night, and for the next week too. They had made the effort to treat the get-together as a kind-of holiday, the first break many of them had had for years.

"Let's meet back in the lounge", suggested Quatre, "I've arranged for some hot milk toddies"

"Excellent", filtered a number of voices back.

In the Hallway, Heero caught up with Fumio who was walking beside Noin and Trowa. He playfully put his arm around the boys' neck grabbing him into a gentle headlock, and began rubbing his knuckles on the top of his head. Fumio laughed out.

"And you." grinned Heero, "You're going to bed! Have you seen what the time is?"

"Ok Heero", he replied in a muffled voice, still in the headlock.

"Have you seen your room yet Fumio?" asked Quatre, hearing Heero's comments.

Heero let go and the boy looked up at Quatre, still grinning. He shook his head negatively, at the same time, pulling his ruffled shirt straight.

"Come on, I'll show you", replied Quatre, making a detour towards the stairs. Fumio and Heero followed.

"Oh, are you off to bed now Fumio?" asked Noin sounding slightly disappointed.

He nodded. The group stopped walking as words of "goodnight" and "sleep well" were called out. He stopped and turned back to the group smiling.

"Goodnight, it was nice to meet you all," he said quietly, then began scanning his eyes around the group for Sally. On spotting her, he stepped back down the stairs and stood before her gently taking her by the hands.

"I really do hope you had a nice birthday Miss Sally," he said beaming a warm smile at her.

Sally nearly melted on the spot.

"Ohhh! Fumio, I've had such a wonderful day. Thank you for asking", she replied gently squeezing his hands, "And it was so wonderful to meet you too." Fumio smiled again and broke away, climbing the stairs once more to where Quatre

and Heero were paused, a few steps up.

The group waved and called goodnight again, then turned to continue their short walk towards the lounge where Kennet the butler was preparing a creamy-white hot milk toddy, a drink legendarily famous at the Winner household.

"Fumio has the room next to yours, as you asked", Quatre informed Heero as they walked slowly along the first floor corridor of the East wing. Heero nodded in appreciation. Moments later they were stood outside a large white panelled door. Quatre opened it.

"Here you go Fumio, this is your room."

They entered and Heero turned on the lights. A simple, yet grand room lay before them with high ceilings and classic décor. The subtle smell of antique wood lingered in the air. There were three, tall, separate windows running along the front wall. A king-size bed sat against the same wall between two of the windows, whilst antique oak furniture sat along several of the inner walls. Fumio's face lit up with astonishment.

"This room is for me?" he gasped, looking back at Quatre, his big cobalt eyes agape in astonishment. Quatre nodded.

"It's not as modern as you might have liked", he commented, but you've got the best view in the whole house. When the sun comes up in the morning, you can see right across to the mountains, it's really quite beautiful".

Fumio continued to look at the room with his mouth open, in shock at the sheer size of it.

"You have an en-suite bathroom and shower in here", continued Quatre, walking over and opening a door to the left. "There are some towels and a new toothbrush in there for you."

Fumio didn't seem to hear Quatre's words; he was still staring in disbelief at the room.

"Are… are you sure this room is for ME?"

Quatre grinned. He pointed towards the foot of the bed. Fumio's small tatty suitcase had been brought up into the room and was sat on the floor.

"That's you're suitcase isn't it?"

Fumio nodded.

"Then this must be your room, the house staff are rarely wrong."

Heero watched with amusement the bewildered look on his brothers' face.

"But… But… even parts of our monastery aren't as big as this!", he gasped.

Quatre smiled,

"Well, I'm sure you'll get used to it. This is one of my favourite rooms actually, it has a very homely feel."

Quatre prepared to leave.

"If you need anything, please, don't be afraid to ask for it, ok? My home is your home."

"Thank you for everything Mr Quatre", said Fumio in a genuinely appreciative tone, bowing respectfully as Quatre was about to turn for the door.

"You are very welcome Fumio San," replied Quatre smiling warmly, returning the bow. Then he paused for a moment, thinking about his next words. He looked the boy in the eye,

"I… I really do hope you can find the answers you're looking for," he said compassionately.

Quatre patted Heero on the shoulder as he turned to leave,

"I'll leave you to settle him in, I'll be downstairs if you need me ok?"

Heero nodded,

"Thanks again for this Cat, I owe you one".

He was acknowledged with a single nod. Moments later the door closed with a quiet click.

"Quatre is a good person", commented Fumio, "he has a big heart."

Heero nodded, "Yes, he does."

"Now I understand why you said that it hurt a lot, that time when he was injured and you came to the monastery to pray."

Heero thought back to that rather stressful time some six months previous when Quatre was at deaths door after his Gundam, Sandrock, had crashed. He had secretly gone to the monastery because he had suddenly felt so helpless. He remembered actually wanting to pray, something he had never done before in his life, and something he had never believed in doing. He remembered, deep down, wanting Quatre to live so bad that he would have done absolutely anything, and praying was all he seemed to be able to think of at the time.

Heero just nodded, he had no answer to give.

Fumio looked him in the eye.

"All of your friends here are such good people", he said quietly, then paused, staring at his brother for a long moment.

As they remained in eye contact, Heero noticed Fumio's face quickly change to very sad expression.

"Such good… good… people!" He whispered in a desperately solemn, wavering voice as tears quickly began to well in his eyes.

Before Heero could say anything, Fumio had hurried over to the bed and sat down, slouching forward, burying his face into his hands.

"Whoa! Fumio?" said Heero in a surprised tone, hurriedly following after him, "What's all this about?"

Fumio did not answer; instead he began sobbing quietly into his hands. Heero sat down beside him, uncertain of what to do or say.

"Hey! Fumio? What's the matter? What's brought this on?" he urged.

Fumio glanced up slightly. Heero could see the wet streaks running down his cheeks.

"I…I feel their pain!" he whimpered, "They're all carrying so much pain!" He buried his face back into his hands again and sobbed more.

Heero looked confused.

"Who's pain Fumio… who are you talking about?" he asked. The boy took a deep breath trying to ease back on the tears so he could explain.

"The others!" he sniffled, looking up again, "They… They all act so calmly and happily, but I feel it Heero, and I see it! I see the desperate sadness they all carry around with them." he continued, "It's so intense, so painful for them to bear; it's eating away at them all the time!"

"Who?!" urged Heero for a second Time.

"Quatre," Sniffed Fumio, now becoming a little calmer, "Wufei… Noin… Trowa… Even… Even Duo! I know he likes to make jokes and laugh, but I see how much he really hurts inside; I see how much they all do! They all carry the darkness of war inside their minds. It's in their every waking moment and it's in their dreams at night." He gave a long sniff, as his tears started to intensify again and he found it more difficult to talk again,

"Some… Some of them" his pitch raised to a squeal, "They even cry to themselves at night, even now." He buried his face back into his hands as the sobbing returned.

Heero now realised what Fumio was referring to. It was something he could relate to himself, those inescapable feelings of darkness and guilt, the torturous memories of death and destruction, and the regrets of one's actions during a time of great madness. It was something he too had had to live with since the war ended. For the most part, he was able to deal with it, but there were times when those feelings had left him feeling very down and depressed.

He had suspected for some time that the others probably suffered with the same thoughts and feelings, but as they were so painful to talk about, he had never really asked.

Heero reached up and placed a reassuring hand onto the back of Fumio's neck,

"Oh Fumio!" he sighed compassionately, "What am I going to do with you?" He said, firming his grip as he allowed the sobbing boy some time to calm down.

Eventually Fumio stopped crying.

"Feel better now?" asked Heero. Fumio nodded wiping his nose on his sleeve.

Heero sighed again,

"Fumio… you little fool! You know you're not supposed to be using your powers when you're outside the Monastery, you know how easily they can overwhelm you."

Fumio suddenly looked a little sheepish,

"I know", he replied, giving another sniff, "I do try, but sometimes it's harder not to use them."

"That's beside the point Fumio!" replied Heero in gentle protest, "Lama Banai specifically told you not to attempt to use your powers while you were away from the monastery, what would he say if he found out you'd been using them, Hmm?"

Fumio looked sullen again,

"I know, and I'm sorry, it's just so hard sometimes, especially when they are trying to show me something as serious as other peoples pain and suffering, It's like trying to shut out your own thoughts."

Heero nodded, but quietly sympathised with Fumio's situation. He sighed deeply.

"Look, Fumio… Since the war, I'd imagine everyone has endured the pain you describe to some degree or another. It's not just with the guys downstairs or with me; I'd imagine it's with just about everyone who ever fought seriously in the war. It doesn't matter what side they fought on, everyone fights in the belief that they are doing what's right." Fumio nodded and gave another sniff, understanding Heero's words. He wiped his nose on his sleeve again.

"Don't think that I don't understand Fumio. I realize that, right now, all your instincts are telling you to try to help everyone by using your powers to take away their pain, but you simply aren't ready to do that yet… one day, maybe soon, you will be… but not right now, not at this time. For now, you must try to be strong and resist the temptation of using your powers OK?"

As Heero spoke, Fumio pulled a tissue from his pocket and blew his nose, then proceeded to wipe his eyes dry. He'd stopped crying and was sat quietly listening to Heero's wise words of reassurance. He nodded,

"I'll try Heero," he replied in a whispered voice.

Heero gave another squeeze on his neck. He took a deep breath and sighed again.

"You are destined for so many great things Fumio. Once your powers have developed fully, and you have learned to control them properly, you will be able to do so many good things. You'll be able to do all the things that your instincts are calling you to do, and I know the world is going to become a much better place because of it. Only then, will you be in a position to help take away, not only our pain, but also the pain of everyone who ever fought in the war, and others besides.

But that's all in the future. Right now, the only thing you should be concentrating on is our current mission. These damn reactionary instincts of yours are getting worse, and our priority is to get them sorted out before they start getting you into serious trouble."

The young monk nodded, reluctantly agreeing with him. He took a moment to ponder Heero's words and the future he had described, before looking up,

"Do you really think that Mr Quatre can help us?" he asked, looking to his brother, "Can he really make this problem, go away?"

Heero looked him in the eye. "I won't lie to you, The truth is, I don't know for sure, but I do know that Quatre has a knowledge and skills that relate to this, and if he can't help, then he has access to more contacts than you could ever imagine. I know he will help us find someone who really can help. I also know he won't give up until we find a solution. Asking Quatre for help is the first logical step."

Heero paused for a moment, then continued.

"I just want you to take some time to get settled in. I'll approach Quatre in a day or two and bring him up to speed on the whole situation, then we'll figure it out from there ok?"

Fumio nodded and then looked down at the floor, pondering a thought for a moment.

"Heero?" he asked looking up again.

"Yeah?"

"Do… Do they know?... you know, About my powers?" he asked with nervous uncertainty.

Heero removed his hand from the back of Fumio's neck and sat more upright, interlacing his fingers together.

"No", was the serious, monotone reply. "And they mustn't know either; we already discussed this before you came here."

"I know," he sighed, his shoulders drooping slightly, "But it just feels like I am lying and deceiving everyone... I don't like lying Heero, I hate it, it makes me feel so awful."

Heero looked up at the ceiling and sighed again,

"How many times must we have this conversation Fumio?" he asked, his tone sounding a little tired. "You know that there are people out there who are not ready to accept who you are, and what you represent."

He shuffled sideways to face him more, gripping him by the shoulders, looking him in the eye.

"If they find out about you, before you are ready, well… that… that would not be a good thing… not good at all!" He squeezed his shoulders as he spoke, "This is why it's absolutely essential that no one outside of the monastery knows about your powers, Ok? Anyway, you're not lying to the others, you're simply not telling them everything about yourself. I guess everyone has some things that they don't want other people to know about them, this is just your thing."

Fumio nodded subtly, understanding his brothers concerns.

"Alright Heero", he replied quietly, "I… I'm sorry I'm such a pain sometimes, I'll try to do better."

Heero looked warmly at him and sighed.

"Fumio, you're not a pain, I just want you to be safe, that's all."

They sat quietly for a moment before Fumio got up and fetched his small tatty suitcase. He lifted it up onto the bed, opened it and pulled out a thick pair of white cotton Pyjamas that were neatly folded on top of some other clothes.

"Heero, I'd still like to help the others if I can, even without my powers." Said Fumio sitting back down again. "I think I know a way I can help Wufei at least."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well... He lives his life according to Samurai traditions." explained Fumio, "Samurai is a deeply spiritual culture, but, with all the turmoil he feels inside, he seems to be so, well, just so empty of spirit, and it bothers him deeply.

"Not sure I know much about that stuff, what can you do?" asked Heero.

"He knows I am a monk. When we spoke earlier today, it felt as if he was looking to me for some kind of Spiritual connection. I think I know of a way I could help him, I mean I'd really like to if I can."

Heero listened carefully.

"Heero, when you see him alone next, please tell him that, if he wants to, I would be happy to spend some time with him, perhaps we could do a meditation or two together. If he's interested, I would even consider the Samurai meditation ritual."

Heero raised an eyebrow, then, slowly, almost reluctantly, nodded, "Ok, I'll tell him if I get the chance, but I'm not sure what his reaction will be".

"I'm sure his reaction will be positive," suggested Fumio.

Heero looked at his brother silently, mulling something over in his mind. Fumio looked back at him,

"What?"

"I was just thinking, I'm glad you feel you want to help."

"I just don't like to see suffering, that's all."

"Well, I think it's time you got some sleep, or I'll be suffering tomorrow! I know how irritable you can get when you're tired!" suggested Heero grinning slightly. Fumio grinned back agreeing with him.

"I'll be right next door to you in that room tonight", Heero pointed towards the wall. "If you need anything, if something bothers you, that's where you'll find me ok?" Fumio nodded.

"Good", replied Heero, "Now…" He leaned in towards Fumio's ear smiling slightly, "Go to bed!" he grinned as he stood up and began heading for the door.

Suddenly, he stopped again.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" he said reaching a hand into his pocket, and turning back towards his brother.

"Fujita san asked me to give you this". He pulled from his pocket a small, plain looking watch and handed it to Fumio.

"He made it especially for you" remarked Heero.

Fumio examined it curiously. It was a simple, small, gold coloured watch with a medium width black leather strap.

"He made this for me?! Oh! That's so thoughtful, but I don't understand, why would he want to go to all the trouble of making me a watch?"

"Because everyone is concerned about you being away from the safety of the monastery," replied Heero enigmatically. Fumio cocked his head to one side,

"I don't understand".

Heero grinned. He reached his hand out,

"Here, I'll show you."

Fumio handed him back the watch. Heero took it and pressed the winder. The whole front face flipped open to reveal a tiny, single red button beneath.

"Look, It's a locator beacon," replied Heero. "If ever you fall into danger, or get into a bad situation, just press this button."

Fumio looked a little taken aback.

"Such a kind gesture," he whispered.

"Actually, it was Lama Banai who asked Fujita san to construct it for you, he was very anxious about your going away," commented Heero, "Now, just be careful with it!" he suggested in a cautionary tone, whilst snapping it shut, "If it's activated, a whole truckload of protection fighting monks will arrive at your location in minutes! You should only ever use it in a real emergency."

Fumio nodded, heeding the warning.

Heero gestured for Fumio to raise his arm and proceeded to strap it onto his wrist.

"I want you to wear it all the time from now on, even when you're asleep, ok?" Fumio nodded. Once it was strapped on, Fumio continued to examine the innocent looking device on his wrist. He looked at the clock on the wall,

"It tells the right time too!" he grinned.

"Right then, off to bed now," said Heero.

"Ok Heero."

Heero turned for the door, but paused for a moment.

"You gonna be alright now?" he asked in a momentary concerned tone, "no more tears?"

Fumio nodded.

"I'll be fine now," he replied, "Thanks Heero."

Heero nodded then turned for the door for a second time, "Goodnight Fumio."

Fumio called out as he walked away.

"Heero?"

Heero stopped and looked back.

"Do you think it would be ok if… if Miss Noin came up, and," he shifted uncomfortably, pressing the toe of his right shoe against the floor, "and… and tucked me in?" he asked coyly, slightly embarrassed.

Heero smiled, "You really like her don't you?"

Fumio nodded reluctantly.

"yes I do," was the simple reply.

Heero nodded as he continued towards the door, still grinning,

"I'll see what I can do. Good night Fumio".

Turn to Part 2...


	2. Part Two

One Small Step

Part Two (Chapters 6 - 10)

Chapter Six

By the time Heero had arrived downstairs, the others had gathered in the lounge. He opened the lounge door and on entering the room was immediately handed warm milk toddy by Kennet the Butler who was just preparing to exit the room pushing a large serving trolley. Heero thanked him with a nod, then went on into the room and joined the others who were sat around in one large group chatting.

Noin was the first one to speak,

"Just three words Heero", she said cryptically.

Heero looked at her oddly. "Uh?"

"He is adorable!" she beamed.

"Yes, apparently Heero, your score on the girls 'cuteometer' is nowhere near as high as his." remarked Trowa.

"None of our scores are," added Duo, pretending to appear sad, "It's.. it's just so damn depressing!" he sobbed into his hands for a second, and then looked up grinning.

"Oh, You guys are incurable!" sighed Heero in humorous disbelief. He sat down, nestling on one on the sofas in the space between Hilde and Sally.

"I can't leave you lot alone for five minutes can I" he grinned, putting his drink down on the small table in front of them. "Oh, by the way Noin, it seems you have an admirer."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Fumio has asked if you wouldn't mind tucking him in!"

A beaming smile appeared on Noin's face.

"Oh, that's so sweeeeet!" She squealed excitedly, looking at sally and Hilde who were grinning. They all leaned in towards each other, simultaneously chanting a squeaky "Aww!" They all giggled loudly as Noin bounced to her feet and headed for the door.

Heero frowned and leaned back in the seat folding his arms. He looked up at the ceiling, tutting, shaking his head from side to side.

"I never could understand all that giggly girly stuff," he protested.

Wufei looked at him with a straight face and nodded, agreeing.

"Aw, come on Heero", said Sally, slipping her arm under his and pulling closer,

"You've got to admit, your little brother really is quite adorable."

"Yeah, so how come you're nothing like him Heero?" interrupted Duo in a jibe.

"Oh, Very funny Duo," replied Heero ironically, instantly picking up on Duo's insult.

"Actually Heero," piped up Hilde, "Putting the cuteness jokes aside for the moment, you two actually don't look anything like each other. Brothers always usually have at least a couple of similar features like their hair colour or the shape of their nose, or the colour of the eyes or something."

Heero paused for a moment, then picked up his mug of milk and sipped from it. He sighed.

"Well... I guess that's because we don't have the same parents," He replied hesitantly.

"But I thought you said you two are brothers?" said Duo.

"We are, well.. Stepbrothers I guess would be a more technical term, but it doesn't matter. As far as we're concerned, it's irrelevant that we're not related by blood."

"So you had the same step-parents?" asked Wufei. Heero sat back in the seat with a slightly pondering expression,

"Parents... Hmm," he mumbled cryptically.

The others watched him with interest, keen to know exactly what he meant by that.

After some more mulling over in his mind, he eventually answered.

"It's kind-of... Complicated."

The others continued to look at him in anticipation of an explanation.

"What?!"

The others just looked at him, still expecting an answer.

"You want me to tell you?!" he asked in a raised tone.

Several heads nodded eagerly.

"I think tonight this is the first time you've ever really mentioned about your past to us Heero," suggested Quatre, "I think it's something we have all wondered about for a long time."

Heero gave another "Hmm" as he mulled over in his mind exactly how much information he was prepared to reveal.

"Well..." he sipped some more milk, "We were both orphaned and adopted at a very young age by the same people."

"So you had the same adoptive parents, right?" asked Wufei for a second time.

"To be honest, you couldn't really call... 'It'... a parent," replied Heero.

"It?" came several surprised and slightly confused voices.

Heero shifted uncomfortably in his seat, crossing his legs.

"Ok...ok!" he said, putting his hand out, finally submitting to the others' need to know more about his past. He put his drink down again.

"Fumio and I were adopted by a Colony-based military organisation run by Dr J, whom I'm sure you have all either met, or heard about at some point during the past year."

There was a general nodding of heads

"We didn't have parents as such, only employed carers." Said Heero. "We referred to it as the Foundation"

"I don't understand Heero," said Hilde, "Why would a military organisation want to adopt young children?"

Duo and Wufei looked at each other, somehow, they already knew the answer to this one.

"Putting it simply Hilde... Operation Meteor," replied Heero.

There were quiet gasps from around the group.

"My God! Heero!" spoke Sally in shock, "You mean you were trained as a Gundam pilot from..."

"From the moment I could utter my first words, yes Sal."

The gasps and looks of astonishment continued to be etched on the others' faces, particularly the girls.

"And so was Fumio."

The room instantly fell silent.

"Fumio?" gasped Hilde, along with a number of other, equally surprised voices, "I don't understand... how does he fit into this?"

Heero sighed heavily before leaning forward in his seat to explain.

"Fumio... Fumio is also a fully trained Gundam pilot... he was to be my backup."

"WHAT!!?" came a number of shocked voices.

"Gundam pilot 'Alpha-one' was his designation. If I was captured or killed at any time during the mission, he would be secretly deployed to carry on from wherever I left off."

The silence returned for a moment as confused, somewhat disbelieving eyes observed him.

"But he's so young!" protested Hilde and Quatre simultaneously.

Heero nodded,

"That's because they had originally chosen another kid the same age as me to train. But a couple of years into the program, when I was about three, there was a transport accident. He and several of his training team were killed."

"Oh! That's awful!" gasped Sally.

Heero shook his head slightly.

"I don't remember much about it, or about him. I didn't even know his name, only his designation. However, I do remember that they were frantic to find a replacement.

They screened hundreds, maybe thousands of kids, some, like Fumio, were just babies. Apparently they were looking for certain, very specific, brainwave responses. Even now I still don't quite understand how they did it. All I know is, Fumio's score was off the scale, it was much higher than they had ever hoped to find, so, despite his age, they still chose him."

Wufei spoke up.

"But Heero, you said he's been a monk, living in a monastery for over three years?"

Heero nodded.

"But Operation Meteor only started about a year and a half ago," added Wufei, "I may not be the swiftest guy at calculating figures, but am I the only one who has a problem with my sums here?"

Heero did not reply straight away, allowing the others time to work it out for themselves, in the belief it would make his job of explaining a little easier.

"Something must have happened", suggested Trowa looking to Heero for conformation.

"I told you it was complicated," replied Heero.

"That's it isn't it?" asked Trowa again, putting on his best 'detective' mask, "Obviously things didn't go as planned or your brother probably wouldn't have become a monk."

Heero reluctantly nodded, then sighed.

"Guys!... come on... It's a long story... and this is hardly the time to talk about it, this is supposed to be Sally's party," he suggested, attempting to change the subject.

"Are you kidding Heero!" replied Sally instantly, "You've got us hanging on to your every word here! Don't worry about me, you have our complete and undivided attention! Right guys?"

"Yes, Heero, come-on, please! Tell us! Don't keep us guessing," urged Hilde.

"C'mon Heero, us guys are fascinated too, we really want to know about this," insisted Duo. The other pilots nodded in agreement.

Heero sighed again.

"Ok... ok," he said raising his hands in submission again. He sat further forward, paused, and took a breath. "Yes, you were right Trowa, things did not go as planned, in fact... well, things actually got quite bad... very bad in the end," he replied, mulling the past over in his mind.

The others listened closely.

"It sounds like it was Hell," commented Hilde.

Heero looked at her,

"Actually, it was quite the contrary to begin with. Things were going very well at the start, during the early years. We both enjoyed the lives we had; each day became a new challenge, a new adventure. Every morning we would wake up with a fresh day to conquer another milestone, to get over another bridge, to acquire another new skill. We probably had richer and fuller lives at that time than any other kids anywhere. Period."

"So what went wrong?" asked Wufei.

Heero took another sip from his mug of milk.

"As time to the Operation Meteor deadline grew shorter, the intensity of the training began to increase. What started off almost like games in the early years slowly became more and more serious as time progressed. In the final three years before Operation Meteor began, we were pushed to the very limits." Heero paused for a moment; he became hesitant to say the next words. "Limits which... which Fumio found, were set just too far out of reach"

The room remained quiet apart from Heero's voice. The others listened absorbedly to his recollections.

"I'm sorry Heero, but it really does sound like it was a living Hell", observed Hilde, reiterating her previous comments.

"To be honest, up until that time, we were still enjoying it. We were both enthusiastic, eager to meet and beat the challenges we were faced with. The programme meant everything to us, succeeding in our test missions became everything. If we succeeded, we were happy, but if we failed... well... only then did it become a living Hell," replied Heero, now staring down into his half-empty mug of milk.

"Why, what would happen if you failed your test missions Heero?", asked Quatre, suddenly almost too afraid to ask.

Heero looked up at him, and exhaled almost in a laugh, yet, he looked serious, even a little sad.

"Well, Let's just say, we seriously sharpened our combat skills on those days."

The room had become exceptionally silent. Everyone almost daring not breathe in case they missed something, they were mesmerized, yet, quietly shocked by the unfolding story.

Heero could see seven, slightly concerned pairs of eyes staring at him, everyone leaning forward in their chairs, eagerly anticipating his next words.

He continued in a quietened, now gloomy voice.

"When a mission failed, we knew we were in trouble. At the time, nothing would be said, and things like the mission debriefing would continue as normal, as if nothing was wrong. But it didn't take long for us to work out how it all really worked."

Heero began to look a little nervous. He began to roll his mug between his palms whilst staring down at the floor, contemplating having to describe the painful memories he was about to recall.

"We called them the 'foundation assassins', don't ask me why. It's just a name that was said, probably in jest one day, and it stuck. They came mostly at night and times when we would least be expecting them", he spoke with an an almost scared voice.

"We wouldn't sleep much on those nights. We were told that their purpose was to teach us to never let our guard down, and to always be prepared for attack. I guess they were just trying to toughen us up."

"Who were they, these assassins, Heero?" asked Trowa quietly.

"We never got to see their faces, they all wore dark balaclava masks. Sometimes there were many, I guess maybe up to twenty or so, other times there were just a handful."

Heero took another sip from his mug, then carried on rolling it nervously between his palms, his voice sounding more and more nervous as he continued.

"At first, they would catch us off guard, literally dragging us from our beds, but we quickly learned to be ready for them and start to fight and attack as soon as we heard them enter the building, other times... we would just try to hide."

A look of varying degrees of abhorrence appeared on most of the group's faces as he spoke. Hilde looked like she was going to cry.

"They were often relentless," he continued, "it all depended on the severity of our failure of the mission that day. Sometimes we would get away without a scratch, sending them into retreat easily, but other times..." Heero swallowed nervously as the memories came flooding back to him in full, terrifying detail, "Other times... well... we got out butts kicked that's for sure."

Only a couple of people had noticed Noin re-enter the room a few minutes earlier. She had quietly perched herself on a free chair near to the others. She too looked appalled at what Heero was describing.

"How old were you two when this started Heero?" she asked.

Heero counted, tapping his fingers against this mug,

"I suppose I was about eleven or twelve at the time, I guess Fumio would have been about nine."

His words were met with shocked gasps.

Duo looked sternly at Heero, "That's dreadful Heero! Absolutely appalling! hideous in fact!" he growled in a suppressed anger through grit teeth, "My training was nothing like that, NOTHING! like that!"

Wufei also looked alarmed, "Yes Heero, this is actually very disturbing."

"DISTURBING!" growled Duo, thumping his fist into his other hand, "Hearing this makes me want to go and beat the crap out of someone! like those bastards back at this, what did you call it? Foundation? That Dr J's got some serious answering to do."

"Hey! Just relax Duo!" urged Trowa and Sally.

Wufei reached his hand across onto Duo's shoulder, "Calm down Duo, you must let Heero continue," he urged.

Duo took a deep breath, sighed, then nodded slowly,

"I'm sorry guys," he said, briefly putting his hands up in a submissive posture, "I'm cool... I'm cool," he assured.

"So was this the turning point for Fumio?" asked Quatre, "What happened to the two of you?"

"Well... nothing happened straight away," Heero continued, "When the assassins came onto the scene, we both had a bit of an attitude change to the program that's for sure. We remained enthusiastic for the missions to succeed, and over time, our enthusiasm to succeed became stronger, but it was all for the wrong reasons".

Quatre responded, "You mean you were afraid?"

Heero began nodding his head, he knew what Quatre was trying to get at.

"Yes Cat, it was fear", he confirmed, his voice reduced to a sullen whisper. "We would have done anything! and I mean ANYTHING! not to fail... not to be forced to face them again, but it just wasn't that easy."

The room remained totally silent as Heero continued with his story. Hilde dabbed a tissue against her face as a single tear ran down her cheek. Duo immediately shuffled across and sat beside her, placing a reassuring arm around her back.

On seeing her upset Heero stopped, suddenly realising just how intense a situation he was creating.

"Oh God! Sorry Hilde! guys!", he said, "I'd better stop, this is getting heavy. I didn't mean to upset anyone."

Simultaneously, just about every voice in the room, including Hilde's rose up in protest.

"No! Don't stop there!" they cried, "you can't leave us there, you have to go on."

All eyes in the room were on him again. They were desperate to know what happened.

Heero put his hands up in submission again, "Ok... Ok." he replied, "I'll go on."

"Well, like I said, we would have done anything not to be forced to face the assassins again. It wouldn't have been so bad if we knew what to expect, but each time it was like they were pre-assigned to different levels of strength and intensity. Sometimes we could seriously kick their butts, a single blow would seem to knock them down or send them running, all of them. Yet, other times, we would use the deadliest blows we could, and they just took it, and then countered with terrifying strength. It was like they were messing with our heads, and I'm sure that's what did all the damage."

"How long did this go on for Heero?" asked Trowa.

"I guess after about three months of this, that's when things started to take a turn for the worst for Fumio. In that time he had gone from being totally enthusiastic and loyal, living only for the excitement of the mission, to a life of total misery."

Heero looked regretful as he spoke.

"I guess I was the lucky one, I had a three year age advantage and was able to handle it better, to face the challenges with continued drive. It was my determination to stay with that positive attitude which eventually got me through the rest of the training. Fumio tried doing it the same way,"

He stopped suddenly, looking down sorrowfully at his mug, rolling it faster between his palms in nervousness.

"God... He tried so hard!" his voice suddenly reduced to a whisper, cracking slightly. "The kid did nothing but try!" he could feel a lump forming in his throat.

Suddenly Heero felt a pair of hands press onto his, stopping him from rocking his mug between his palms, they were Sally's. He didn't realise but where he was rocking his hands so nervously, he was almost spilling the contents of the mug. Sally gently peeled the mug away from his grip and placed it on the table, then took hold of his hand nearest her, gripping it firmly.

Heero quietly welcomed her reassurances; he was starting to get uncomfortable from revealing so much from his past.

"What happened with Fumio?" asked Noin.

"I actually thought he was going to make it, he seemed so determined. He seemed to be soldiering on, really getting on with it, trying hard to stay enthusiastic, despite what was happening. That is, until one day... he just stopped."

Heero's voice became gloomy and whispered once again.

"It was like something inside him just snapped. He simply wouldn't... couldn't... fight any more."

He sighed heavily.

"The mission that day was a disaster. His heart just wasn't in it. That night, as always, the assassins came, but Fumio refused to engage them, he would not fight back."

The other pilots sat listening carefully; most were feeling emotions of anger and frustration inside.

Wufei leaned further forward in his chair,

"What did they do Heero?", he asked, his voice sullen and quiet, "I assume they were honourable enough not to attack, once they realised he was not fighting back?"

"You would think so wouldn't you," replied Heero, starting to tighten his grip on Sally's hand as he felt the lump returning to his throat.

"But there was nothing honourable about these, these... animals. The reality is, they seemed to be angered by his refusal to fight," he swallowed nervously, "and they... they beat Fumio to within an inch of his life."

Heero glanced up at the looks of utter disbelief etched deeply onto the faces of everyone in the room. He could feel his heart quicken as the painful memories fed back through his mind with such realism, it was as if he was reliving the moment.

"I tried.. God! How I tried to fight them off, to stop them." Tears finally began to well up in his eyes. He suddenly felt very self-conscious. Sally leaned in, pressing her free hand gently against his shoulder,

"It's alright," she whispered quietly, reassuring him to go on.

He paused and took another breath, swallowing nervously before continuing.

"I could see where it was going, I realised what was going to happen. I fought. I desperately fought back, like I'd never fought before. I was trying to get to him, to reach him before it was too late, but..." Heero paused, his voice suddenly dropped to a wavering whisper,

"I thought he was dead... he was just lying there. There... there was a lot of blood... I... I really thought they'd killed him", he gasped as a single tear ran down the side of his nose. Immediately he tried to wipe it away with his sleeve, sniffing quickly at the same time.

He looked up at the others, feeling slightly embarrassed,

"God! sorry guys!" he said sniffing again. "This is getting intense."

Several hands gently reached across to comfort him, together with words of assurance from most in the room.

He quickly realised he was not the only one with wet eyes. Hilde hadn't stopped shedding tears since she started earlier, Noin looked close to tears, but what shocked him the most was the person sat across to his right.

"Wu... Wufei?" he uttered in a quiet, surprised tone, "You ok?"

Two wet streaks sat on each side of the dragon warrior's face as tears fell silently from his eyes. He was sat in a chair, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The room fell quiet as one by one, the others noticed him.

Noin got up and walked over, sitting beside him, and putting her arms around his shoulders, hugging him. They could see he was really upset. "You wanna step outside Wufei? maybe get some air?" she asked.

Immediately Wufei sat up, trying to recompose himself, sniffing, shaking his head.

"No, but thank you", he replied in a whisper, sniffing again. "It's very important for me to hear the rest of this," he insisted, urging Heero to continue with his recollections.

"Yes, Heero", added Duo in a subdued voice, "Please, you've gotta continue."

Heero reluctantly nodded,

"Ok," he replied simply, his own voice still nervous and wavering a little.

He sighed, pausing for a moment, thinking back to where he had stopped.

"Well, as I said, Fumio had refused to fight back," he continued still sounding nervous, "Yet they still attacked him, they still beat him. God, it was so vicious. They seemed to be infuriated at his refusal to fight, and... and they were relentless." His voice began to hesitate and waiver again as his eyes began to dampen for a second time.

"I tried my best to fight them off, to get them away from him. It got me a broken arm and two popped ribs, but eventually they retreated."

He looked mournfully down at the floor, the next memory was probably one of the most painful he had ever had to live with. The anguished recollection of being sat on the floor of a darkened corridor, cradling what he believed was his dead brother in his arms, as he blubbed uncontrollably, wishing for his own life to end there and then.

It was just too much to share. The emotional pain was too great. Another tear rolled down his cheek as he quietly suppressed the memory, and continued on with the most compact version he could think of.

"I thought he was dead," he sniffed again, "but the recovery team arrived very quickly that night and they were able to resuscitate him. He had gone into a coma, and remained in it for a week, but he recovered fairly quickly once he woke up."

Duo was looking angry, as were the others.

"This is the most repulsive thing I have ever heard!" he spoke in suppressed anger, "I can't believe they treated you like that! I can't believe they'd even treat their enemies like that, let alone their own people!" There was a general nodding of heads in agreement with Duo's thoughts.

"But Heero, surely you must have had someone to turn to about what was going on?" questioned Quatre, "Surely you had a voice, a say in what happened. Surely you could have made them see reason, they must have know what this was doing to you both?"

"Oh, I asked, I pleaded, I even begged them to stop well before that night, and several times I was assured that it wouldn't continue, that something would be done about it, but still it went on." Replied Heero, sounding slightly annoyed.

"What about after that night happened?" asked Duo.

"After that night, things did change", replied Heero, suddenly sounding a little better, "But by then, the damage had already been done. Fumio had lost it. They'd simply pushed him too far." Heero looked sadly down at the floor again.

"When he was released from the hospital, he'd become totally unresponsive. He was unwilling to fight, or to take part in the program in any way. He would barely eat, he hardly spoke, except to me. He cried himself to sleep most nights. He was totally miserable."

Heero's voice grew gloomier again.

"I saw an almost permanent look of fear on his face every day, and I could see he'd become a bag of nerves. Every sudden noise, a door slamming, a dropped object, even a loud voice, and he would jump nervously. Sometimes he'd literally end up cowering in a corner somewhere. The final straw came when I realized that he'd become suicidal."

"My God!" gasped Sally and Noin together, Noin now looking angrier than upset.

The others looked on with utter contempt for this, seemingly barbaric organization. The tears continued to run down Hilde's face as she quietly sobbed. Duo continued to cradle his arms around her offering comfort.

Heero hesitantly continued,

"He walked into my room late one evening, when we were expecting the usual visit from our assassin friends, and placed a sharpened Samurai sword into my hands, his chosen primary weapon. Then he literally begged me to put him out of his misery and end his life."

Several quiet sobs and gasps continued to be heard from around the room. Hilde was particularly upset. Heero squeezed her hand as Duo continued to comfort her.

"I knew I had to do something, so I went to Dr J and pleaded with him to let Fumio go, to drop him from the program".

"Did it work?", came a number of voices

Heero shook his head, "Not really at first", he replied, "So I was forced to do the only other thing I could think of. I informed him that I would no longer co-operate with the program until Fumio was out, whether they tried beating co-operation out of me or not. He knew I wasn't bluffing. The very next day, Fumio was dropped from the program and immediately shipped off to a secret location for re-integration training."

"Re-integration training?" questioned Duo, "What's that?"

"They told me it was a rehabilitation program, designed to enable him to re-integrate back into normal society and live a normal life. I guess it sort-of 'switched off' the soldier instincts."

Heero sighed heavily, then looked up at the many eyes focused on him.

"That was the last time I saw him for almost three years, I heard nothing during all that time.

I tried finding out, but information was hard to come by with everything gearing up for the mission."

He paused for a moment.

"The next time I saw my brother, Operation Meteor had already begun. I was on Earth, making repairs in the cockpit of Gundam zero one when I came a cross an encrypted recording. It was a message from Dr J, telling me everything about Fumio since he left the base, and more importantly, he told me where I could find him."

"Did you go and find him?" asked Noin.

"Of course. I went straight away", replied Heero, "although I was a little apprehensive about what I might find.

"What do you mean?" asked Noin.

"Well, I saw the state he was in when he left, so I guess I was half expecting to find a zombie, just the shell of the brother I once knew, so you can imagine my surprise when Fumio came bouncing out of the monastery looking all full of life, and grinning from ear to ear."

"It must have been a great reunion," suggested Hilde.

Heero nodded,

"That was a good day," he replied, "One of the better days of my life, One I'll not soon forget." A smile finally appeared on his face as he recalled the memory.

"So it looks like this tale has a happy ending after all," suggested Trowa, "but there's one thing I still don't understand... why did he become a monk?"

Heero Paused for a moment, mulling over the answer in his head.

"Apparently his father and great grandfather were Buddhist monks, although actually, if the truth was known, technically he's not an official a monk yet."

"What do you mean?" asked Wufei.

"Because he was a special case, he hasn't been... ordained? is it? yet... or whatever it is, that thing that they do to make you a proper monk. He's been living there among them, learning the language and the rituals and studying the way of life to decide if that's where his true path lies. That's why he wasn't wearing his monks' robes today."

"That is quite unusual," replied Wufei.

"The elder head monks are fully aware of his background, and all the messing that's gone on with his head, so they have been very good in giving him his space, they are not pushing him in either direction. He is free to come and go as the need arises."

Heero thought to himself for a moment, "Actually, they have been very good to him indeed, helping him to deal with the anger and the frustration that he sometimes feels by teaching him all that meditation stuff that they do... They really are a good bunch, and it's been totally invaluable to him."

Noin was still looking slightly upset, "I'm so glad that he has found some happiness at last, and that the monks are helping him. I figured he would have some anger and resentment towards his tormentors, I'm so glad he's able to deal with it in such a positive environment, with so many people willing to help him." Heero nodded in agreement.

"What about you Heero?" asked Duo, "Don't you feel angry about what happened?"

Heero thought to himself for a moment.

"That's not an easy question to answer Duo, I guess you have to look at the bigger picture," he replied, mulling over the conflicting thoughts in his mind.

"On the one hand, yes, I sometimes feel unbelievable anger towards them, particularly for what they did to Fumio. And yes Duo, some days I really do think about tracking down each and every last one of those assassins and paying them back. But, on the other hand, I have to remember that they also made me who I am."

"What do you mean Heero?" asked Noin, "You can't possibly be defending what they did, surely?"

"Without the skills I learned from them, I would have been dead a long time ago, and probably so would all of you. We all know just how close the White Fang came to succeeding in destroying the Earth. If Operation Meteor had failed, because I did not have the necessary skills to help complete the job, we would not be sitting comfortably here right now, enjoying each others company in peacetime. For the record, many of the things that I learned by dealing with the assassins came into play during the war, and saved my life."

The room fell silent again. Heero could see that people were thinking about what he had just said.

"It's easy to judge and be critical of what happened, but you have to remember we were preparing for war. Wars are never pleasant, and there are always casualties. I guess you could regard Fumio as a sort-of casualty. But you must bear in mind that what happened to us, although seemingly hideous and unthinkable, probably, more than likely, saved millions of lives. Now we are living in peacetime. Both Fumio and I still have our lives ahead of us, and hopefully, we will go on to lead rich, full lives in the knowledge that the sacrifices we made... or rather, were asked of us, really did count for something in the end."

Chapter Seven

A deathly silence hung in the room once Heero had finished talking as everyone began to slowly digest some of the terrible things they had just been told. No one was crying any more. The tears of earlier had either all turned to anger and resentment towards the foundation, or had just dried up into an unhappy numbness, but in all of the negative emotion, there seemed to be a sense of relief that things had eventually turned out right in the end. Everyone also realized that Heero's last statement was correct, and that hideous though it may have seemed, his experiences really had, if a little indirectly, probably saved the fate of the Earth.

"Somebody please say something", suggested Heero after the quiet hit on several minutes, "this silence is getting a little unnerving."

"I just think we're all still a little in shock Heero," suggested Quatre, breaking the silence. "I'm sure everyone here has wondered at some point or another what your past was really like, I just don't think anyone was expecting it to be quite so... so tragic."

Hilde spoke up quietly,

"I've got this image burned onto my mind, of that permanent, terrified look on Fumio's face. I can't shake it off."

Noin sighed heavily,

"Oh, That poor kid," she uttered as she exhaled.

Sally reached her arm back up onto Heero's shoulder looking him in the eye,

"And poor you too Heero," she spoke softly, rubbing her hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, don't you go worrying about me, I came through this just fine, I have no real regrets anymore."

"What about your brother Heero?" asked Trowa, "Should we be worrying about him?"

Suddenly Heero felt awkward. It was the one question he was hoping wouldn't be asked. The answer to Trowa's question was yes, but he was not ready to make that information openly known. He had a plan in place to address the problem with minimum fuss, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better.

Quatre was quick to pick up on Heero's sudden trepidation. He could see he was trapped in a corner. He had suspected that there was more going on than Heero had originally told him about the 'personal issues' Fumio needed to address, but he was careful not push for answers. Quatre knew the only way Heero would accept his, or anyone else's help, would be if Heero actually asked for it.

Quatre cleared his throat, he knew he needed to steer the conversation away from Trowa's question before Heero became defensive.

"Guys, I think we should be careful about how we react to Fumio when we see him tomorrow."

Heero looked at Quatre, instantly realising what his Arabian friend was trying to do. He was grateful.

Sally nodded,

"I agree, it probably won't be a good thing if we go making a big fuss over him, or we start acting differently toward him from how we were today."

"I wouldn't mention any of this to him, unless of course, he asks or brings up the subject himself, then just be truthful, don't try to hide anything," continued Quatre, "Just be diplomatic, be thoughtful with your replies."

The gathering continued for another hour or so before they decided to call it a night. Quatre was the last one to leave the room, a few minutes after everyone had ascended the stairs and retired to their rooms. As he turned off the light and entered the hallway, he noticed Heero stood at the bottom of the large sweeping stairway propping himself against the curling banister rail.

"You ok Heero?" he asked in a slight concerned tone as he wandered towards the stairs.

Heero nodded affirmatively,

"Thanks… for bailing me out back then", he said in a subdued, appreciative tone.

Quatre looked down at the ground, stopping, with his foot on the first step,

"You know Heero, I'll do anything I can to help you. I am here. All you have to do is ask, just say the word, ok?"

Heero nodded gratefully,

"I know Cat, and… well, I do want to talk with you about Fumio. Actually I've been planning to come to you for help right from the start."

Quatre nodded. He had suspected that this was the case.

"We won't talk now", continued Heero, "A couple of days ok? I want to just give him some time to settle in... then we'll talk."

"Anytime Heero, day or night ok? Just come and find me," replied Quatre.

Heero nodded appreciatively again,

"I owe you Cat", he called as Quatre began making his way up the stairs.

Quatre acknowledged him with a nod,

"Goodnight Heero".

Four in the morning. An hour from first light. Wufei, carrying his current reading book, quietly descended the stairs of the sleeping household and opened the door to the Drawing room. It closed behind him with a suppressed 'click'. He shuffled across the dark room towards his favourite chair, sat down and reached across a small table, switching on the desktop lamp perched on top.

He sat back and began rifling through the pages of his book to find his place. Suddenly, he noticed a subtle aroma in the air; it was of burning candles and incense. He stopped and looked up, sniffing the air.

He looked towards the other side of the 'L' shaped room, to where it disappeared around the corner. He could see the faint, warm glow of candlelight flickering shadows on the wall.

"Hmm, that's careless" Wufei thought to himself, "Someone must have left a candle burning unattended". He put his book down on the table and got up to investigate.

As he made his way across the room, he spotted a small, lit, candle sat in a holder on the floor. As more of the area became visible to him, he spotted several more candles lined up, burning silently.

He was about to ask himself 'What's going on?' when suddenly he noticed a small shadowy figure sat cross-legged on the floor beyond the line of candles. It was Fumio. He was wearing his traditional orange monks' robe. His eyes were closed, his hands resting upturned on his knees. He was totally still. Wufei realized he was meditating.

Suddenly feeling a little guilty that he may have disturbed the young monk, as silently as he could, he tiptoed back towards where he had left his book deciding he would find another room to read in. He quietly switched off the table lamp and crept towards the door, but as he slowly began to push down on the handle, he heard a quiet voice call to him.

"Wufei san?"

Wufei looked back into the room to see Fumio's silhouette standing, near to where he had been sat moments earlier.

"I have disturbed you," said Wufei almost in a whisper, a tone of guilt in his voice, "I am sorry, it was not my intention."

Fumio smiled.

"It's alright Wufei san, you did not disturb me. I was just… Actually, I was hoping I would bump into you," he replied.

Wufei looked at him oddly.

"Join me for a while?" asked the boy, gesturing towards the candlelit area beside him.

Wufei agreed. He put his book back down on the table and walked back across the dark room. Fumio sat back on the floor where he was before. Wufei kicked off his shoes, and sat down on the opposite side of the line of candles so they faced each other.

There they sat facing each other silently. Wufei looked down at the burning candles. The situation felt oddly familiar as memories of the last time he was in a temple came back to him. It had been quite a while since he had used candles to meditate, and having a monk sat opposite him seemed to add to the ambience.

Without saying anything, Fumio closed his eyes, sat straight and took some long breaths. Wufei felt compelled to do the same. They remained in silence for several minutes in a light, meditation.

Very quickly, Wufei began to feel wonderfully calm and serene as his mind quietened down allowing him to drift into a much deeper state of reflection. It was something he had greatly needed for a long time. He had been struggling to meditate successfully since the war had ended, although he didn't fully understand why.

Fumio could sense Wufei's unusual contentment and allowed him some more time before they would speak.

Eventually, after almost half an hour thirty minutes, Fumio took some more deep breaths, hinting at the end of their short meditation. Wufei took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. Fumio looked straight at him with a compassionate smile.

Wufei looked different. The serious, almost-scowling look that had recently become a permanent fixture on his face had eased somewhat. He looked relaxed, serene, and even slightly happy.

"It's been a while", he commented quietly, his tone showing a hint of surprise. He looked back down at the candles,

"For the past two months I have been virtually unable to meditate." He spoke regretfully, "I've tried often, but it's always been a very poor experience, my mind has been so active and dominant… But that," he grinned slightly, "That was quite a revelation. Thank you." He said gratefully, bowing his head.

Fumio simply nodded back.

"Did... did you help me to do that? How is that possible?" asked Wufei.

"Perhaps I just helped you find something you had mislaid," he replied enigmatically, "but I am glad you found it again Wufei san, I am happy for you."

Fumio shifted to get comfortable, then looked Wufei in the eye.

"Wufei san, did my brother speak with you last night?"

Wufei hesitated for a moment, unsure where he was going with this. He preferred not to get on to the subject of what Heero had revealed last night.

"Heero? Heero said many things last night", he gingerly replied.

"But did he speak to you alone?" asked Fumio.

Wufei shook his head.

By now it was obvious to the monk that Heero did not get the chance to relay his offer. Fumio nodded his head, concluding his enquiry. He shifted again.

"Wufei san, please, may I ask you a personal question?"

Wufei nodded, "yes, sure."

"May I ask, When was the last time you experienced a samurai meditation ritual?"

Wufei raised an eyebrow,

"You know of that ritual?" he asked, sounding slightly impressed.

Fumio nodded, smiling slightly.

"Well…" Wufei looked up to the ceiling as he thought back, "It was three years and… eight months ago", he replied, counting the months back in his mind.

He reminisced further on the memory,

"It was with grand-master Yamamoto… What an amazing guy! There were just six of us students that took part in the ceremony." a broad smile appeared on Wufei's face as he explored his memories further,

"A most enlightening experience. Spiritually, physically, emotionally and culturally, a truly amazing day that I will remember for a long, long time."

Wufei looked back down at the young monk,

"But tell me Fumio, how did you know I had experienced the ritual?"

"Just a guess, I figured as a Gundam Pilot you would have had the best training available, and I know that no true Samurai would go into a real battle without experiencing the ritual at least once."

A grin slowly appeared on Wufei's face,

"You are very perceptive my young friend, and also correct."

Wufei thought to himself for a moment,

"I recall from last night that Heero mentioned your primary weapon of choice was the Samurai sword. Is this correct?"

Fumio nodded.

"Did he also mention that I'd spent over five years being trained by a grand-master too?"

A look of astonishment appeared on Wufei's face,

"Heero mentioned…" suddenly he paused, thinking very carefully about what he was about to say.

"Heero said many things last night… things about both your pasts… But he never mentioned that." Wufei's voice had suddenly become hesitant and sullen.

Fumio listened, and nodded subtly. He concluded from Wufei's tone that Heero must have told him and the others about their dreadful past.

The boy looked down in the mouth for a brief moment, as if suddenly being reminded of those awful times,

"I guess he told you then," he whispered.

Wufei Nodded, looking a little sad.

"Yes."

With a brief sigh, the subtle smile returned to Fumio's face.

"Well, it was a long time ago," he whispered, suddenly seeming to perk up again.

"So, Heero, didn't mention my Samurai training?"

Wufei shook his head,

"He made no mention of it. Were you really trained by a grand-master?"

Fumio smiled, nodding.

"Yes, back on the colony where Heero and I were train…" he paused, suddenly looking a little awkward. He quickly corrected himself, "I mean, where we grew up."

Wufei nodded, understanding his awkwardness,

"It's alright," he assured quietly.

Fumio paused and smiled briefly, then continued with his explanation.

"I got my first sword when I was four years old."

The astonished look returned to Wufei's face. "Extraordinary," he whispered.

"But when I Left the foundation, at first I didn't want to do anything like that anymore."

Wufei could suddenly hear the stress in his voice.

I… I… I didn't want to do anything that I had been… _made_ to do on the colony."

Wufei nodded,

"I can understand that," he replied in a whisper.

"But Lama Banai, the head monk at the monastery, and also my friend, persuaded me to carry on with my skills and not to forget them, like I was trying to do." continued Fumio,

"He helped me to take away the bad feelings they gave me, and turned them into something positive and wonderful. He taught me to 'claim them back', and helped to make my skills something that could be used to help others, to protect and defend those who cannot fight for themselves."

Wufei raised an eyebrow. There was something strangely familiar about his words.

Fumio looked down at the candles, shifting slightly nervously, and then looked Wufei in the eye. "Wufei san… I'm certainly not a grand master; I am just a simple monk… But I can lead the meditation ritual."

Wufei came back with his astonished look, "But… but it takes years to learn just the basic moves!" he gasped, "How is this possible?"

"I've studied hard, very hard," replied Fumio, a slight grin on his face. "I have led the ritual twice for a small number of Samurai students."

Wufei was lost for words.

"This… is… is… remarkable!" he stuttered, "Fumio, you must be only monk in this part of the world, maybe the whole country, who would have the knowledge to lead the ritual."

Fumio shook his head,

"No, there are others," he replied, humbly.

They sat silently for a moment. Eventually Fumio spoke again,

"Wufei san… I will lead the ritual for you… if you would like me to."

Wufei looked him in the eye. He did not know what to say or even think.

"I… I… I… " He stuttered, "you… you'd… do that for me?!"

"Only if you want to. Please do not feel under any pressure to accept."

"I don't know what to say," replied Wufei, still gasping.

"I can't promise that the event will be as fulfilling as that day, with grand-master Yamamoto, added Fumio, "but I can promise to stay faithful to the traditions of the original form."

Wufei gasped again,

"No insult intended Fumio san, but are you absolutely sure you are fully versed in the whole thing? It is a vastly complicated ritual, with so many specific and intricate moves. If you are uncertain of what you are doing, I can not guarantee your safety."

He paused for a moment, his voice suddenly lowered to a whisper,

"I… I would hate to injure you."

Fumio smiled,

"No insult taken Wufei, but I don't know how else to convince you."

"Maybe we could use blunted swords?"

Fumio shook his head negatively,

"I'm sure we both know that using anything other than fully sharpened swords will reduce the spiritual significance of the ritual to virtually nothing, which would hardly make it worth doing at all."

Wufei Sighed, still looking a little concerned.

"I know, but…"

"It is kind of you to be so worried for my safety Wufei San," interrupted Fumio, in an assuring, quiet tone, "but please, you mustn't be worried. Trust me, I can do this, I really can do this."

Wufei, slowly, finally, nodded his head in agreement, accepting Fumio's reasoning.

He stood up, and bowed slowly, respectfully to the young monk.

"Then, I will accept your generous offer, with appreciation."

Fumio stood and returned the bow. They stood silently for a moment, until Wufei spoke again.

"When would you like to start?"

"We can begin shortly at first light if you want", suggested Fumio, "but might I first ask a favour of you, Wufei san?"

"Just Name it," replied Wufei.

"I have not brought a sword with me."

"I have several, you may use any one you wish" replied Wufei, "Come with me".

Wufei gestured for Fumio to follow him as he headed for the door. Fumio quickly blew out the candles and followed him.

A few minutes later they were stood in Wufei's room next to a tall closet. Wufei opened the door and reached in. He pulled out a long cloth-wrapped bundle and carried it over to the bed. He untied and unrolled it carefully, revealing a small collection of six perfectly maintained Samurai Swords protected in their scabbards.

"You may choose any one of these to use", suggested Wufei.

Fumio's eyes stared in wonder at the amazing collection,

"Wow, you have some nice swords here Wufei."

"These are just my practice spares", replied Wufei, "My main sword is over there." He pointed to the wall just above the headboard of his bed. Another sword sat proudly displayed on a bracket. Wufei reached in and picked up one of the shorter spare swords, feeling its weight.

"This one will probably be a good balance for your height", he suggested, offering the sword Hilt-first to Fumio, holding it by the cover. Fumio was about to take it but suddenly stopped. He looked up at Wufei and folded his arms.

"Are you testing me Wufei?" he asked with a slight grin, cocking his head to one side.

"What do you mean?" asked Wufei immediately.

"Well, anyone knows a sword should never be drawn from its scabbard just prior to a ceremony."

Slowly, a respectful, slight smile appeared on Wufei's face.

"Forgive me," he spoke, bowing again, "I just needed to make certain."

"It's ok Wufei… I probably would have done the same thing."

Wufei held the sword in two hands and offered it ceremoniously to the young monk, bowing again.

Fumio gently took the sword and bowed in return, "Thank you, I promise I will look after it. We can begin soon. Shall I meet you on the lawn out towards the big lake?"

Wufei nodded, agreeing.

"Ok. Please just give me ten minutes to change and get ready, I'll knock three times on your door when I am heading out there."

Wufei nodded again, bowing as Fumio headed for the door.

Chapter Eight

Four forty AM on a crisp summer's morning. Light was beginning to filter across the land through the nestling mist that had formed during the night. The distant mountains glowed in translucent luminescence, anticipating the sun's appearance.

Still dormant from the night, the Winner mansion sat silently in the semi-darkness, its silhouette quietly dominating the skyline of the huge grounds in which it nestled.

Some distance from the historic building, far out across the well-kept lawn, stood a small, lone figure dressed in traditional warrior-monk's attire, almost hidden by the mist. It was Fumio. His outline contrasted only by the brightness of the clothes he wore; light orange cotton garments that looked like a cross between a Buddhist monk's robe and a jump suit, obviously designed for manoeuvrability, under which he wore a rich, saffron yellow tunic visible at the neck and sleeves. Around his waist, he'd tied a wide, dark cotton belt, forming an anchor point for the Samurai Sword, which sat diagonally upwards across his back, Its hilt protruding above his right shoulder. His lower legs displayed the traditional white shaolin leg covers, held in place by criss-crossed black cotton tapes leading down to the white, canvass sneakers on his feet.

He stood motionless. Feet together, elbows pointing outwards, hands clasped together in prayer, his eyes closed, concentrating on the moment, summoning the necessary forces of mind and body to allow him to proceed with this mysterious and legendary ritual.

Wufei opened the door to the rear of the mansion and took a breath of the cool air. He felt strangely nervous of the impending event. He walked across the patio area towards the lawn. He too was wearing clothing of the appropriate form; all-white traditional Chinese garments with his sword tied into the waist by the black cotton belt he'd wrapped several times around his waist.

As he approached the lawn, Wufei stopped, bowed respectfully, and then continued towards the monk stood waiting in the distant mist.

On reaching Fumio, Wufei stopped a few feet away, bowed deeply once, then dropped to his knees, bowing deeply to the ground, prostrating himself in complete humbleness before the monk. There he stayed, until Fumio stepped forward and placed a hand gently on the back of his head, chanting an almost rhythmic phrase from the ancient Pali texts as he completed the blessing.

Wufei stood up again. They faced each other about six feet apart, bowed, then both kneeled. Fumio put both arms out in front of him, took a deep breath, and then chanted some more of the ancient language. He clapped his hands twice, then brought them back, resting them on his knees. Wufei then did the same thing, quoting the same words before resting his hands on his knees.

Finally, they began to take deep, slow breaths as they prepared to initiate the first of several deep meditations required by the ritual.

Trowa was the first to get up. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen, filled the kettle and switched it on. As he sat at the large kitchen table, gathering his thoughts, Duo appeared through the doorway. They nodded in a fairly subdued acknowledgement of each other. A few minutes Later Quatre appeared.

Within half an hour, the rest of the group had woken and homed-in on the kitchen as the first point of contact.

Quatre had organized a large toaster, a couple of loaves of bread, and cereals on the large wooden table so that people could just help themselves. He nominated himself as official tea and coffee maker, responding to individual's requests.

Several of the group were perched in various places around the Kitchen. Hilde was leaning on the windowsill periodically looking out. Noin, Sally, and Heero were perched up against the work surfaces whilst Duo and Trowa were sat at the table tucking into breakfast. Quatre was wandering around, as always being a good host, making sure everyone had their beverages topped up.

Duo was on his forth round of toast, and pouring some cereal into a bowl. Sally looked at him in disbelief. She was nursing what looked like a slight hangover.

"I don't know how people can even face breakfast in the morning," she commented, still sounding half-asleep, "Let alone four rounds of toast and cereal!"

Duo just grinned at her as he reached across and grabbed an extra croissant.

"You ok Sal?" asked Quatre handing her the cup of fairly strong coffee she'd requested.

She nodded,

"Don't worry Cat, I always look like this in the mornings," she replied in a dry voice, "I'm a bit of a heavy sleeper, just keep the coffees coming and I'll be fine!" she forged a smile.

"Has anyone seen Wufei or Fumio this morning?" asked Trowa curiously, before biting into a piece of toast.

"Fumio's up already," replied Heero, "I checked in on his room before I came down. He's an early riser, so I guess he's probably gone for a walk in the grounds or something."

"Maybe Wufei is with him," suggested Quatre.

"You said he's an early riser Heero?" commented Noin, cupping her hands around her mug of tea, "but it's only eight in the morning now!"

"At the monastery, they're all up by about four." he replied, "He spends his first hour of the day meditating."

"Wow!" replied Noin, "Now that's something I probably couldn't keep up for long."

"Early to bed, Early to rise, makes a man old and wise," quoted Quatre filling his favourite cup and saucer with another refill of tea, "At least, that's how I think the poem goes".

"Err… guys? I think I've just found them," piped up Hilde. She was staring out of the kitchen window, her eyes obviously fixed on something in the distance. Trowa stood up from his chair, and wandered over next to her, curious to see what she had spotted. Sally also shuffled across the kitchen and peered over both their shoulders out into the still misty morning.

"What on earth are they doing?" asked Hilde

"Err… It looks like they're having a sword fight," replied Trowa in a slightly confused tone.

He turned to Heero.

"Err… Heero, you might want to take a look at this," he suggested suddenly sounding concerned.

Two small figures, one orange, the other white, loomed in the distance. They were jumping and leaping about furiously, swinging what appeared to be swords at each other. Heero wandered across the kitchen to where the others were gathered and peered out into the mist.

"Oh… that must be what Fumio was telling me about last night," he commented matter-of-factly, before, completely calmly, wandering back to the toaster and picking up some bread.

"Heero!" called Sally with urgency, "What the hell's going on? It looks like they're trying to kill each other!! Aren't you even slightly bothered!?"

Trowa put his coffee mug on the table and began marching towards the back door,

"Damn! We'd better go and break them up before someone gets hurt!"

"Trowa! Guys! Just relax!" replied Heero in a totally calm voice. "It's just some traditional ceremonial ritual thing that Fumio said about yesterday, he was going to offer to do it with Wufei."

"A ritual?" commented Duo, finally up from his chair and also wandering to the window, "Let me see."

"I can't remember the name of it," said Heero, mulling over the memory in his mind, "It was some kind of traditional Samurai arrangement… Something to do with meditation."

"They don't look like they're doing much meditating to me Heero!" replied Duo, also sounding quite concerned at what he was witnessing.

By now most of the group were at the window, watching what was going on. Heero put his bread into the toaster and sat down.

"Oh, that's really bugging me now," he commented, "What was it called?"

Suddenly the others shouted in unison.

"WOAH!!"

"My God! Did you see that?" barked Duo excitedly, "How the hell did he get away with that?"

"I don't believe it! How did Wufei manage to jump that high??" added Noin, just as excitedly.

"Ah! Got it!" said Heero suddenly, completely ignoring the comments made by the others. "Fumio called it, the Samurai Meditation Ritual."

Suddenly Quatre choked, almost spraying a mouthful of tea over everyone. He couldn't seem to swallow it, so quickly ran to the sink and spat it out.

Everyone looked at him.

"You ok Cat?" asked Heero, looking up, raising an eyebrow.

Quatre span round from leaning over the sink,

"The Samurai Meditation Ritual!!" he yelled at Heero, wiping the tea dribbling down his mouth with the back of his hand, "Are you sure?!!"

Heero nodded,

"Yup, I'm pretty sure that's what he said."

"Heero!! Have you any idea how dangerous that is!!" he yelled again with even greater urgency.

"Hey! Quatre, Relax!" urged Heero, as he calmly placed another piece of bread into the toaster, "Wufei knows what he's doing, I guess."

"But, But, But, But, Heero!!" stuttered Quatre, "The Samurai Meditation Ritual is vastly complicated and deadly. It involves using razor sharp swords. The slightest mistake could be fatal!!" he gasped almost in a panic. "Aren't you even slightly concerned?!"

Heero shrugged, "Don't worry guys, Wufei is big enough and ugly enough to look after himself."

"Err, actually I think we're more concerned about the little guy", suggested Noin.

"What Fumio? No don't worry he's fine. He knows his way around a sword, he's in no danger", was the calm reply.

"Err, Heero? I'm not sure about that", suggested Duo still standing by the window, "I mean look at them, they're really going for it! It looks pretty serious."

Heero stood up and wandered back to the window. He observed the fighting figures for a moment, then, seeming fairly unimpressed, wandered back to check on his toast again. He sat down.

"I… I guess, what I didn't tell you guys last night, was, that Fumio had spent over seven years being taught by a Samurai Grandmaster. He's also spent most of his time at the monastery continuing his studies of the sword techniques of the Samurai and Shaolin fighting Monks," he replied quietly, "Chances are, he could know more about it than Wufei does."

There were looks of astonishment as people took on-board the new information.

Duo stared at him,

"You really have been full of surprises lately Heero," he commented with a grin, pointing a finger at him. "What else don't we know about you? Hmm? What other amazing secrets have you got hidden away in that guarded mind of yours?"

Suddenly there were more unified gasps as another round of "Wow! Did you see that!" started up again.

Trowa peeled his view away from the window and looked back into the room,

"Heero, you should see this, it's incredible", he suggested in a much calmer voice than before.

"Yes Heero, this is amazing," remarked Sally, "and I don't think I've ever seen Wufei fight quite so expressively before either."

Heero grabbed a piece of toast and wandered back over to the window.

"I've watch Fumio practice often, you kind-of get used to it," he commented quietly, "although I don't think I could ever get bored of watching, it's an amazing skill and in truth, I'm pretty certain I couldn't master it to the extent that he has."

"They just make it look so graceful", commented Hilde, it's actually quite beautiful, almost like a ballet."

"Yeah, But without the tutu's", joked Duo, "Somehow I just don't think it would look as cool!"

By now Quatre had calmed down, Heero's assurances gave him a new found confidence in Wufei and Fumio's ability not to kill each other.

"This is actually quite fascinating", he remarked, "I mean, I've heard of the Samurai meditation ritual, but I've never actually seen it take place. It's like one of those mythological legends that you only get to hear about and never actually witness first-hand."

"What else do you know about it Quatre?" enquired Hilde.

"Only what I've read," he replied. He was about to continue, when Sally interrupted.

"Oh look! They've stopped fighting now," she commented.

Everyone observed as the two figures put away their swords, and then bowed deeply to each other for a good few seconds, both obviously breathless from the fighting. Then they knelt, still facing each other and sat upright, motionless.

"What are they doing?" asked Trowa, "they look exhausted."

"Well…" said Quatre, "I'm no expert, but If memory serves me correctly, I think the Samurai meditation ritual basically involves a series of deep spiritual meditations combined with a number of very intricate and complicated staged sword fights. It is supposed to be a ritual in which the Samurai warrior receives from a holy man a kind of blessing and spiritual 'charge up' to prepare him for whatever battles lay ahead."

"So they must be starting a meditation?" commented Hilde.

"I would guess so," he replied.

"How long does the whole thing last Cat?" asked Sally.

"Oh… hours usually. It dates back hundreds of years. History tells of some rituals, before really important battles, lasting for an entire day. On one occasion, Legend has it, that over a thousand Samurai warriors went into a massive battle on such a high, because of the ritual, that they were completely victorious, and took only a tiny handful of casualties."

"Wow!" remarked Noin, "It sounds like something we could have all done with during the war!"

"Actually, at one time, this ritual was reserved only for Kings and great leaders who would pass down the blessing to their own warriors. And whenever it is done nowadays, there are always usually several students put through it simultaneously. Wufei should be feeling pretty privileged to be doing this alone, one on one, it's very rare indeed."

"So do you think they'll be out there all day?" asked Heero, taking a sip from his tea mug.

"Depends on the length and intensity of the meditations. They may only go a few hours before they finish", informed Quatre, "or they may have chosen to go from first light to sundown. It's different with each ritual."

"So how does it end?" asked Noin, forming a grin, "Do they let off some fireworks or something?"

Quatre smiled,

"Nothing quite so grand", he replied, "Actually, towards the end, the monk will give a final blessing by smearing his own blood onto the warriors sword and body, usually the hand wielding the sword."

This time it was Heero's turn to suddenly choke, almost spitting his coffee out across the room.

"What?!" he gasped, coughing a little. "What do you mean he uses his own blood?!"

"Relax Heero!" replied Quatre, suddenly realizing the irony of their role reversal. "We're probably talking about a tiny nick to the thumb at most. He literally only needs a drop."

"Are you Sure?" replied Heero, still sounding a little concerned.

Quatre nodded,

"Absolutely."

Heero continued with his questioning,

"What did they do in the old days? Was it a nick to the thumb back then?"

Quatre hesitated,

"Actually, no. It used to be a slice to the hand, across the palm. Originally it was across the wrist, but too many monks bled to death accidentally because of it." Quatre started to ramble off at a tangent, "but they always got a funeral with the highest honours… in fact, they were consid…"

"Quatre!" Interrupted Heero, now sounding slightly vexed, "I hate to interrupt your history lesson here, but this is Fumio we're talking about, the kid who doesn't do anything by half-measures, the kid who believes in following tradition to the letter. If it says in the instruction manual to slit his wrist open, then he'll do it, trust me, I know this!"

His words were on-edge and monotone, everyone could see that he was worried.

"Come on Heero", protested Duo, "Do you honestly think that Wufei would allow him to do something like that? I know he can be a bit… cold and inhuman at times… actually, most of the time, But I know he'd never allow something like that to happen."

"Duo's right Heero", added Trowa, "I wouldn't worry. Have a little faith in Wufei. They'll be fine."

Quatre added to the feedback,

"They may not even take it that far," he suggested.

"Oh, they will, Fumio would have insisted on it, I promise you that," replied Heero, his voice still sounding vexed.

"If memory serves, the final decision will be Wufei's anyway", suggested Quatre. "It's his sword that makes the cut."

"Hmmm!" mumbled Heero. He didn't sound convinced, but reluctantly decided to trust Wufei to act appropriately.

"So why the blood Quatre?" asked Noin.

"I don't know exactly, but I'm guessing because it was considered to be pure, a bit like holy water." Replied Quatre, shrugging his shoulders slightly, "I guess somebody came up with the idea one day, and it just stuck. How does any tradition start?"

They continued to watch with curiosity the two figures still kneeling opposite each other on the dew-soaked grass.

"Why do you suppose they chose to do this thing today?" asked Duo.

"Now that, I don't have an answer to." Replied Quatre, "Maybe they just thought it seemed like a good idea. Heero? Did he say why he was going to offer to do the ritual with Wufei?"

Heero thought back to the night before,

"Fumio said he thought that Wufei was lacking in spirit or something. I guess he's just doing what he thinks might help."

"Hmm… I have to admit I've noticed Wufei has seemed a little low lately. He seems to be scowling at people more than he usually does," remarked Duo, "Do you think it will work?"

"I hope so" replied Sally, "Come to think of it, he really hasn't been himself lately. A couple of times when I've spoken to him, he seemed… well… really distracted."

"Well, I think it's very good of your brother to try to help him out", suggested Noin.

Heero nodded, "He's a sucker for hard-luck cases, but I figured they'd get on well anyway, because of the Samurai thing that they have in common."

"Well, if the ritual is supposed to give the warrior a kind of spiritual charge", pondered Quatre, "I figure it certainly won't do Wufei any harm, bearing in mind the nature of how he tries to view the world with a slightly spiritual slant."

Hilde looked upwards out of the window.

"It looks like it will develop into another fine day, as soon as the remains of this mist goes away. Perhaps we could sit outside on the patio and watch the show from there?"

"Err, actually Hilde", replied Quatre hesitantly, "That's probably not a great Idea, bearing in mind they need total concentration. The slightest distraction could cause a mistake, something you wouldn't want to do with a razor sharp sword! I think we should make an effort to leave them well alone for the moment."

Hilde nodded, understanding Quatre's comments.

"Tell you what though, why don't we go to the lounge. We can sit comfortably and still keep an eye on them through the windows without them seeing us." Suggested Quatre.

There was a general nodding of heads, and slowly the group filtered into the lounge. They arranged two of the large sofas so they could watch out of the windows as they sat.

From there, they spent much of the morning just chatting about many different things, drinking large quantities of tea and coffee between them, and just enjoying each other's company, simultaneously keeping an eye on their two warrior friends on the distant lawn.

A number of hours later, Wufei and Fumio had finished their final sword fight. They stood facing each other before Wufei bowed deeply, then dropped to one knee, holding his sword, blade tip pointing towards Fumio.

Fumio put his own sword away and stepped forward, gently grasping the tip of Wufei's blade, holding his thumb against the point. He pressed down and seconds later a small trickle of blood ran down his thumb from the tiny wound. Wufei Brought his hands to his chest, holding the sword upright in the air, and Fumio stepped in to do the final blessing, pressing his blood across the blade then onto the back of Wufei's hand, simultaneously chanting more of the ancient Pali tongue.

They settled for a final meditation, then, about twenty minutes Later, they stood for a final time. Fumio produced a Khata scarf from his pocket, a narrow scarf of pure white silk, about four feet long. He unfolded it and held it out in two hands. Wufei stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Fumio reached up and placed the scarf over Wufei's head onto his neck, then gently cupped his hands on either side of Wufei's face, as their foreheads touched gently together.

"Namaste Wufei San", he whispered sincerely.

Wufei suddenly felt a great sense of warmth towards his newfound friend. The ritual had been more powerful than he could ever have imagined. Despite his totally cool and emotionless appearance, he was beginning to feel an unbelievable, almost overwhelming sense of joy on the inside.

As he allowed his intense concentration to finally ease after almost four hours, he could suddenly begin to feel more of the positive results the ritual had created within him. He felt euphoric, exhilarated, and totally alive, like someone had just woken him up from a very long sleep. He reached his hands up and cupped them gently on either side of Fumio's face.

"Namaste, Fumio san, Namaste!" he replied in a gasped, almost tearful whisper, "Thank you! Thank you, so much!"

Fumio gave a smile before they slowly broke apart. The Ritual was not over yet, and had to be completed. They took another moment to bow again, then, while Fumio remained standing in the same stance he was in when Wufei first walked onto the field, The Shenlong pilot turned and walked slowly away, back towards the house.

On reaching the edge of the patio he turned and bowed once more, before finally heading for one of the doors. The Ritual was over.

Once he saw Wufei disappear into the house, Fumio bowed once more, then turned and headed out towards a large oak tree nestled near the lake. He wanted to take some time to reflect on the experience. He was feeling strange. He felt a little tired from the incredible intensity of the concentration he had gone through over the last four hours, but there was another feeling, something deep within that he could not quite comprehend.

He reached the tree, untied the sword from across his back and sat down, leaning back against the trunk, looking out across the lake.

The rest of the group were still in the lounge when they heard footsteps walking up the hallway. They had watched most of the ritual and were aware that it was over.

"That must be Wufei now", said Duo, getting up from his seat and heading towards the door, "I'm dying to ask him how he did."

Quatre put an arm out stopping him.

"I'd imagine that Wufei would want some contemplation time alone for a while Duo," he suggested, tactfully, "It might be better if you asked him later."

Duo paused, then sighed,

"I guess you're right", he replied, thinking about Quatre's words.

As they stood in the lounge, they could hear the footsteps head up the stairs as Wufei headed for his room.

Chapter Nine

It was late afternoon when Wufei finally emerged from his room and headed downstairs to join the others. The rest of the group had spent the day relaxing on the patio area of the manor grounds and gardens, playing various games like football, croquet, tennis, cricket, and just generally relaxing in the warm sunshine, taking advantage of their short holiday.

Duo was the first to spot him as he appeared at the French doors of the lounge.

"Hey! Wufei!" he called, beaming a smile.

The others looked round, and offered friendly words and gestures of greeting. They could see he had changed into some, more casual clothes; a cream short-sleeved shirt and lightweight, khaki coloured casual trousers.

Wufei stood and observed the others for a moment as he stepped onto the patio. The three girls, Sally, Hilde and Noin were all relaxing side-by-side on full length sun-lounger's, positioned in the best place to catch the sun's warm rays. All three were dressed in light, summery clothing, each holding rather exotic looking drinks adorned with little umbrellas and slices of fruit.

Trowa and Duo were sat perched on a low wall, close to them, also holding drinks and chatting with the girls. Looking across to another area of patio a little further away, Wufei could see Quatre and Heero in the process of preparing the large barbeque for igniting.

As Wufei walked the short distance towards his friends, they very quickly noticed that something seemed very different about him. The whole group picked up on it straight away. The slightly stressed and rather scowling look that seemed to have been permanently etched onto his face over the past weeks had completely gone. In its place sat a bright and rather serene look of contentment. He walked with a slight spring in his step as his whole being seemed to radiate with energy and life.

The others watched him as he walked towards them. Sally was the first to comment.

"Wufei! You… you look Great!" she finally said, peering at him across the top of her small round sunglasses.

Hilde joined in the compliments,

"Yes, Wufei… I can't put my finger on what's changed, but, you look terrific!"

Unable to hide how he was feeling, a broad smile slowly beamed from Wufei's face.

"Thank you", he replied quietly, "I can't fully explain it myself, but I feel tremendous. I've not felt this way for a long, long time"

"Is this because of that Samurai ritual thing you did with Heero's Brother earlier?" asked Duo.

Wufei looked him in the eye and nodded enthusiastically.

"But it's so much more than just a ritual Duo. It's a little too involved to explain, but I just really wish you could all feel what I experienced today." He replied, still smiling, "it was truly remarkable."

"We watched you two for a good while, you seemed to be totally immersed in what you were doing", remarked Sally, "Actually, it looked pretty dangerous!"

"It takes a great deal of concentration", replied Wufei, "The swords are very sharp, but I guess it's only dangerous if you don't know what you are doing, or are not competent".

By now, Quatre and Heero had finished lighting the barbeque and had wandered over.

"Hey Wufei!" said Quatre as they re-joined the group, "You're looking good! I guess you enjoyed the meditation ritual then huh?"

Wufei nodded,

"Very much," he replied, thanking Quatre for his comments, then turned to face Heero.

Heero didn't say anything, just acknowledged Wufei with a slight nod. Wufei took a breath and hesitated for a moment. It was obvious he wanted to say something to Heero, but it seemed a little harder to start than he first thought.

Eventually he opened his mouth;

"Heero… I realize it's not often that I put compliments your way, but… well, I just want you to know that I'm grateful for what your brother has given me today. I will be for a long time." Wufei bowed his head in acknowledgement to Heero.

Wufei's comments caught Heero off-guard a little. He was unsure how to respond to Wufei's very out-of-character compliments even if they weren't aimed directly at him. But He could sense the genuine warmth in Wufei's voice as he referred to Fumio, and was happy in the knowledge that his brother had just earned what he saw as a trustworthy and decent friendship.

A part of him found Wufei's gesture quite touching, yet, there was an element nagging in the back of his mind that this whole thing wasn't as clean-cut as it appeared to be.

After seeing the very obvious change in Wufei, Heero became concerned that it was not all down to the meditation Ritual. He wasn't entirely convinced that leaping around with a sword for four hours could have this kind of effect on a person, no matter how deeply spiritual the event was. He began to wonder if, consciously, or more likely, unconsciously, Fumio's powers may have been at work here and had had some influence. Fumio had promised to make every effort not to consciously use his powers, and Heero knew he would do his best to honour that promise, but it wouldn't have been the first time that he'd inadvertently influenced someone.

Heero recalled some month's earlier, Fumio's deep concern for one of the elderly non-fighting monks at the monastery who had been suffering from a crippling back pain that was getting worse. One night, Fumio had an intense dream about this old fellow, envisaging that he'd become a top athlete, taking to the track in his robes and beating all the worlds' greatest runners! That same morning, the man woke up, not only miraculously cured, but he couldn't stop grinning and laughing for several days, and acting as if drunk.

Eventually, they put two and two together and realized what had taken place. It was decided then, that Fumio's powers needed time to 'mature a bit' before he consciously tried to help others in such a way again.

After pausing to think, Heero replied to Wufei's gesture of words with a simple nod, exercising caution not to get caught up in conversation about it. Wufei was quick to pick up on Heero's reserved reply. He could see the deep mulling going on inside his head, but decided it best not to pursue or question him further. He simply returned the nod in acknowledgement.

"So where's Fumio anyway?" asked Wufei, scanning his eyes around.

"He's sat under the big oak tree over by the lake," said Quatre pointing out towards the distant forest. Wufei looked hard and could just make out a small orange-dressed figure sat at the base of a distant oak tree near the lake, half hidden by its huge trunk.

"He's been there ever since the ritual finished," continued Quatre, "It looks like he's meditating so we've just let him be. We didn't want to disturb him."

Noin sat forward in her chair,

"He's been out there for hours, but Heero tells us that at the monastery, the monks will sometimes meditate for an entire day."

"To be honest", said Quatre hesitantly, "He's been sat in direct sunlight for ages. He was in the shade earlier, but now I'm a bit concerned he'll get badly sunburned."

Hilde laughed out,

"Quatre! You're starting to sound just like my mother!"

Quatre glanced back at her, smiling slightly, unsure how to reply.

"Actually Hilde," added Sally in a more serious tone, "Quatre's got a very good point."

"Well you would say that Sally, being a doctor and all," replied Hilde humorously, "Doctors are always too protective of patients."

"You've obviously not seen the damage a sun-induced malignant tumour will do", she replied fairly seriously, but still smiling, "ask any melanoma amputee about covering up in the sun, believe me, they'll tell you skin cancer is no fun."

"Ok, Ok! Point taken!" replied Hilde raising her hands in a submissive gesture, but still grinning, "Perhaps someone should go and get him to move," her voice suddenly more quiet and serious.

"I agree", said Quatre, "What do you think Heero?" he asked in a tone as if asking his permission.

Heero thought for a moment not appearing too bothered either way. He stared out towards the lake and observed the small figure still sitting motionless below the large tree.

"Well I guess it wouldn't hurt", he eventually replied.

Quatre nodded then turned to Wufei.

"I'm not familiar about the etiquette of disturbing a monk from meditation", he suggested, "I guess you'd know more about that kind of thing Wufei"

Wufei smiled as he realized the kind of complicated preconceptions Quatre must have had in his mind about life in a monastery.

"There is no right or wrong way Quatre," suggested Wufei quietly chucking,

"If you want to wake a monk from a meditation, just go up to him and quietly call his name," His smile turned into a broad grin.

"What! Were you afraid a bolt of lightening would strike you down or something!" he laughed out loudly.

Quatre grinned looking a little embarrassed,

"I don't know… I just figured… well… you know…", he replied, struggling to complete his sentence.

Wufei continued to laugh out,

"Monks are just people just like you and me Quatre! I don't know what strange preconceptions you've got in that worry-full mind of yours, but I think you might want to loose some of them."

"Oh that's so unfair of you Wufei!" replied Quatre in protest, but still grinning,

"It's easy for you, you already have the knowledge… but when you don't know, it's not always right to just guess, especially if you can ask someone who already knows."

Wufei nodded, finally conceding to Quatre's argument,

"Well, perhaps having Fumio staying here will help you to understand more about the way of life." He suggested, donning a more serious expression once more.

Quatre nodded,

"Perhaps you're right."

Wufei smiled once more, and then began heading off in the direction of the lake,

"I'll go to him." he said in a chirpy voice.

As he took his first few steps, Sally called him. He turned and glanced back.

"Here, give him this if he's staying out there", she said, throwing him a small tube of sun cream. He caught it in his left hand and nodded,

"Ok Sal," he called back as continued onwards.

He walked slowly, allowing himself time to contemplate further his own feelings.

The meditation ritual had charged him up to a level of consciousness he had rarely experienced. He felt amazing. His body and mind were physically tired, even aching slightly, yet he felt invigorated, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. His mind felt more at peace than it had been for years. He felt so alive, and glad to be so.

One of the strangest and most dominant things he was feeling at that time was a sense of exaggerated compassion. Compassion towards his trusted fellow Gundam pilots: Quatre, Duo, Trowa, and Heero. Compassion towards his wartime comrades and trusted friends: Sally, Relena, Hilde, Noin, and Catherine, the Maganacs, and everyone who had helped them during the war. But at that moment, the most dominating feeling of all, was a sense of concerned kindness towards a small boy sat under a large oak tree, not fifty paces ahead of him.

As Wufei walked, he observed the brightly dressed figure, sat upright and cross-legged at the base of the tree, his presence radiating a real sense of calm and serenity as the suns rays illuminated his bright clothes. But Wufei could not help constantly thinking back to what Heero had told the group the night before, about the life of sheer hell both he and Fumio had to endure during their Gundam training. He glanced down.

As thoughts of the kinds of things they both had to endure intruded into his mind, feelings of protection began to dominate his thoughts, accompanied by slightly unrealistic pangs of guilt for not being able to prevent what had happened to them in the past. He looked ahead again at the boy under the tree.

"Well, it won't happen again, not ever… That's my promise to you Fumio", he vowed, mutely, whispering under his breath, "So long as there is a breath in my body, I will never allow you to suffer like that again… The same goes for you too Heero."

Chapter Ten

The sun beat a pleasant warmth upon Wufei as he walked silently towards the large oak tree by the lake. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, taking note of the life all round him, the birds in the trees, the fish occasionally jumping on the surface of the lake, the tall Grey Heron standing on the bank not far from his position and the wild deer stalking timidly amongst the long grass of the fields a little way to his right.

Since doing the meditation ritual Wufei had noticed his general awareness and receptiveness had sharpened immensely. Colours seemed brighter, sounds were louder, and subtle smells seemed more noticeable. He noted the intricate sounds made by the small wildlife and insects that he had only very recently realized were all around him. Even the sun itself seemed to be radiating a silent, yet harmonious hum.

Fumio was sat upright and appeared to be deep in meditation when Wufei approached. The sword he had borrowed lay on the ground next to him, the metallic parts of its handle reflecting in the bright sunlight.

Saying nothing, Wufei crouched and sat quietly on the bank of the lake next to the boy, observing him for a moment before closing his own eyes. He took a breath and quietly began contemplating all that the day had brought to him.

"Today has been a good day", he thought to himself.

Moments later his thoughts were disturbed by a strange but quiet sound. He opened his eyes. The sound came again. It was Fumio quietly snoring.

The sides of Wufei's mouth turned upward as he realized he was not meditating at all, but was actually fast asleep.

Wufei Realised he must have been completely exhausted from leading the ritual earlier. He watched him for a few moments, feeling a need to leave him alone to rest, but he could clearly see one side of Fumio's face was already red where he'd been out in the sun too long. Wufei weighed up in his mind whether to wake him or not, before eventually reaching out his arm and lightly placing it on Fumio's shoulder, giving a gentle shake.

Fumio almost immediately took a deep breath then opened his eyes. He looked tiredly at Wufei, rubbing one eye with the heel of his hand.

Wufei smiled. "You ok? Fumio san?"

Fumio nodded.

"Sorry about waking you up, but you're starting to get sunburned. You need to move into the shade."

Wufei pointed to the area shaded by the tree they were sat under.

Fumio nodded, still looking half asleep.

"Ok", was the simple, tired reply, before he proceeded to shuffle a few feet sideways into the area.

Wufei shuffled across and sat next to him again. "How do you feel after doing the ritual?"

Fumio tiredly rubbed his eyes again. "Ok thanks Wufei san, but I can't believe how tired I am now," he mumbled, still trying to get his bearings.

"Why don't you go back to your room and get some sleep," he suggested.

"And waste a beautiful day like this?" whispered Fumio, his voice a little croaky, "I think I'd rather be outside."

Wufei nodded, understanding. He prepared to stand up again.

"I shall leave you to rest some more," he said, not wishing to intrude further onto his space or solitude any more than necessary.

"It's ok Wufei", replied Fumio suddenly becoming more alert, "You can stay… If you want to that is".

Fumio yawned tiredly again, then slowly stood up and began some stretching exercises to try to wake himself up a bit. A few moments later he sat back down again looking a lot more awake.

"So how about you Wufei?", he asked. "How are you feeling after doing the ritual? It went pretty well didn't it?"

Wufei Nodded,

"Yes, and I feel good, thank you," he replied in a conservative tone.

"Just good?" asked Fumio, sounding a little disappointed.

A grin appeared on Wufei's face.

"What?" asked Fumio.

Wufei's grin developed into a full smile.

"Actually, I feel more than good, I feel… I feel… amazing!", he replied excitedly.

"In what way?" asked Fumio with enthusiastic interest, his face forming a smile for the first time since waking.

"It's difficult to fully explain, but I just feel so… so alive!" replied Wufei. Fumio encouraged him to explain further.

"I see more clearly, colours seem much more vibrant, I can hear more clearly, I can smell things I haven't noticed before. It's as if all my senses have come to life, but the strangest thing of all, and this is going to sound really crazy, it feels like I can sense the… the presence of life all around me." Replied Wufei hesitating slightly, instantly realizing just how zany the last line of his sentence must have sounded.

Fumio looked at him strangely, cocking his head to one side. "What do you mean?"

Wufei suddenly began to regret mentioning it, but now felt compelled to explain.

"It's the strangest thing," he continued, "It's so hard to put into words but," He lifted his head and began scanning around with his eyes. "Perhaps I can demonstrate."

He stood up.

"Watch this."

He began walking quietly towards the wooden ranch-style fence some twenty or so paces from their location. Beyond the fence was a disused field covered in long straw-coloured grass almost as tall as Wufei himself. As he reached the fence Wufei paused for a moment, then clapped his hands loudly three times.

Suddenly, two small deer took flight, leaping and bouncing at speed away from the fence and into the distance.

Fumio watched with awe as he realized they must have been stood just feet from where Wufei was. Wufei wandered back and sat beside the boy again.

"I've sensed their presence since I got here, even though I could not see or hear them, I just knew they were there", he said excitedly, contemplating his newfound abilities.

Suddenly, Fumio did not feel so comfortable. It just occurred to him that this was far from normal. The meditation ritual was supposed to invigorate and refresh the mind and spirit, not give a person telepathic abilities. He began to feel a sinking in his heart.

"Oh no!" He thought silently to himself in a slight panic.

He could only conclude one thing; that his secret powers had somehow done this to Wufei.

He silently tried to fathom how or why.

Since his powers first began to appear some five years previous, he had always believed that they were not just raw powers, but were sort-of guided by something. It was as if they had a will of their own, although he seemed to have overall control of them for the most part. From time to time he would feel them nudging him and gently persuading him to make certain decisions and take certain actions. At times it was like another mind or entity was living within his own mind, although this never bothered him, in fact he was quite comfortable with the idea. He looked upon it like a kind-of guardian angel that looked out for him.

"So why would my powers choose to make Wufei slightly telepathic, without indicating anything to me?" Fumio thought silently to himself, still feeling worried about how permanent the changes in Wufei would be. He thought back to the ritual, suddenly remembering one particular aspect of it.

"He came into direct contact with my blood!" he thought, "Is this some kind of contamination?" He thought more about it, but eventually concluded it was unlikely.

There had been several occasions in the recent past where training accidents had left him nursing bloody cuts and grazes. Those who had helped clean him up, including Heero, had certainly never mentioned any 'side effects'.

After more pondering, Fumio was unable to draw a conclusion, but his instincts were telling him not to be so worried. After all, Wufei was not harmed in any way and actually seemed quietly thrilled by his new abilities.

"I don't know how long it will last, or to what degree I can use it" continued Wufei, oblivious to Fumio's concerned pondering, "but there's definitely something weird going on there. In all your studying, have you ever heard of anything like this before? I know I certainly haven't."

"Err… No Wufei… I… err… I haven't," stuttered Fumio in reply suddenly feeling like a fraud.

Wufei grinned slightly.

"Well, this is turning out to be a very interesting day," he grinned again.

Fumio smiled at him.

"Well, I'm glad for you Wufei san, I'm very happy that things have worked out so well".

Wufei looked back at his young friend, returning the smile.

"Thank you so much Fumio," he said appreciatively, "You will never know how grateful I am for what you have done today. I am in your debt." He bowed his head.

Fumio nodded, smiling, silently accepting his thanks and decisively putting to rest any further worries he had about his powers' influence over Wufei.

They remained in eye contact for a few seconds more before Fumio peeled his view away and stared back out across the lake.

"It's so beautiful here", he commented, changing the subject, "So peaceful".

"Yes, it is," agreed Wufei, "It's also strange that you chose this very tree to sit under. It is exactly the same place that I usually come to whenever I want to be alone or relax," he said.

"You mean I've been hogging your favourite place all this time?" replied Fumio, looking slightly worried, "I'm sorry Wufei san, If I had known, I would have found somewhere else." There was genuine regret in his voice.

Wufei gave him a stern look,

"Well… I suppose I'll let you off just this once" was the serious, monotone reply, "Just don't let it happen again!"

The anxious look on Fumio's face increased for a moment until he realised that Wufei was just joking with him. Once the penny had dropped, Fumio gave a sigh, then slowly formed a mischievous grin.

"Oh, I'm sorry Wufei san", replied Fumio, "But, wait a minute… hey! what's that?" he asked, suddenly leaning over and pointing his finger onto the front of Wufei's shirt.

"What's what?" Asked Wufei, looking down to his chest. Immediately Fumio flicked his finger against Wufei's nose then began to giggle impishly. Wufei stared a momentary 'stunned' look at the giggling monk,

"Damn! I should have seen that one coming!" he whispered to himself as a grin appeared on his face.

"Right! That's it! You little!...", Wufei playfully made a grab for the boy, but the small-framed monk had scrabbled to his feet and was on the run, giggling loudly as he went. Wufei, still grinning, quickly got up and went after him.

Fumio ran for cover on the other side of the tree trunk. Wufei attempted to stop and grab him from the opposite direction. Each time Fumio was able to duck and twist out of the way with lightening speed, making full use of the incredible flexibility he had gained from his trained skills. Wufei was pretty quick too and had caught hold of him several times, but was unable to get a strong enough grip before Fumio had twisted away again. A few moments later, Fumio made a break for the open lawn, but Wufei could run faster and quickly caught up with him, grappling him into a gentle headlock.

Fumio squealed with laughter as Wufei wrestled him to the ground, and proceeded to tickle him mercilessly on the ribs. After a fruitless struggle to escape, Fumio eventually yielded, and Wufei stood up, lightly resting one foot on Fumio's belly, raising his arms in the air, humorously declaring victory. His victory however, was short-lived, as Fumio suddenly rolled over; jumped up, grabbed him around the middle and the wrestling began all over again.

"Oh Man!" Commented Duo, Raising his head from his sun-lounger and spotting the two tussling figures in the distance, "Looks like they're battling it out again!"

A number of the others looked across the lawn to observe.

"No, I think they're just horsing around Duo," replied Noin, now sat up on her sun chair, "Can't you hear the laughter?"

Duo sat up further and listened hard, suddenly hearing Fumio's distant belly laughs.

"Oh yeah! I hear them now," he grinned, "Heh! Heh! Looks like they're having great fun!"

Quatre, Heero, and Trowa were perched on the short wall next to the rest of the group who were lying on the close-together line of sun-loungers.

Observing them, Sally smiled,

"I've never seen Wufei behave like this before," she suggested, "I mean, look at him! He's like a little kid who just inherited a toy store! I think befriending your brother Heero, is one of the best things that's happened to him in a long time."

Heero had been quietly observing them for the past several minutes. He slowly nodded in agreement.

"Actually", he spoke quietly, "I was beginning to think the opposite."

"What, you mean you think his meeting Fumio was a bad thing?" asked Hilde in a confused tone, "Why would you think that?"

Heero shook his head negatively.

"No Hilde, I mean, making friends with Wufei is probably one of the best things that's happened to Fumio recently. I haven't seen him behave in this way for a long time. It is good to see."

"I guess there's not much room for that kind of fooling about in a monastery," suggested Sally.

"Are you kidding? I don't think a day goes by when the monks don't end up getting involved in some kind of horse-play or another", replied Heero forming a slight smile as he reminisced back to his own time spent at the monastery,

"In fact, sometimes the older monks are worse than the younger ones!"

Sally looked surprised,

"Wow, I always thought monasteries were quiet reserved places"

"Well they are most of the time, but these are fighting monks Sal," explained Heero, "They are deadly serious about what they do, but I guess things like occasional horseplay helps maintain the balance. It contributes to the very special rapport and camaraderie that's so prevalent at the monastery."

Trowa looked confused,

"So what did you mean when you said you hadn't seen Fumio behave like this for a long time Heero?" he asked.

"I guess what I'm saying is that, I just haven't seen him be so…" Heero paused for a moment, mulling over his words. "Be so… boisterous. He never really laughs out like he's doing now." Heero thought some more. "He never really seems to… 'let go' like that, if you understand what I mean, not like he's doing now."

"Well I think it's wonderful that they are getting on so well," added Sally.

There were nods and general mumblings of agreement from everybody.

Trowa thought about Heero's previous comments for a moment.

"Err, Heero?" He asked hesitantly, "You keep making detailed references to what life is like at Fumio's Monastery, So, how much time have you 'actually' spent there?"

Heero looked expressionlessly at him.

"I've been living there myself for the past five-or-so months. Moved in the day the war ended," he replied matter-of-factly.

Trowa looked surprised, as did a number of the others.

"Oh! I thought you just visited there regularly," he replied, "I didn't realise you were actually living there."

"That's funny, I was under the same impression", added Hilde and Noin, almost simultaneously.

Heero looked at them, "Why's it so important?"

"It's just something I couldn't imagine you doing," replied Trowa hesitantly, "I'd have thought a monastery would have been the last place you'd have chosen to live in Heero."

"I've got to admit to having the same thoughts as Trowa there Heero," observed Sally, "Surely the pace of life there must be unbearable, compared to what you have been used to?"

Heero leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, thinking about his reply.

"Hmm… I have to admit, at first, I wasn't too sure what I was letting myself in for." he replied, "But I had made a promise to spend some time with Fumio. The head monks had invited me to stay there on numerous occasions previously, so as soon as the war ended, I chose to take them up on their offer."

"So what's it like there Heero?" asked Duo.

The others all seemed to sit up and take interest in the conversation.

"Actually, It's not like I imagined," Replied Heero, "I can come and go as I choose, provided I respect their rules, but they're a very laid back people."

"Do you have to wear all the clothes and do all that chanting and stuff?" joked Duo.

Heero grinned a little, shaking his head from side to side,

"No Duo," he replied, "as far as they're concerned, I am there for the benefit of one of their own, Fumio. I'm considered a kind-of guardian to give him moral support while he…" Heero paused for a moment, thinking carefully about what he would say, "…While he sorts out his future."

"So what are the rules that you said you have to stick to?" asked Quatre.

"Oh nothing weird, nothing bizarre", replied Heero, "Just simple basic stuff, like not being disrespectful to others, causing arguments, or being lazy or unwilling to clean up after yourself. The rules are aimed at stopping anything that generally causes disharmony, that's all. All in all, it's actually an okay place to live, and I have learned many things from the monks, many of whom I now consider to be good and close friends."

"So what do you do with yourself all day Heero?" asked Noin, "I know those guys like to spend hours and hours meditating in the temple, don't you get bored?"

Heero shook his head,

"There's always something to do there," he replied. "At the moment I'm helping to re-paint one of the buildings, and Fumio has been teaching me some of the moves that the fighting Monks use, we practise them together in the quiet times."

As he spoke, Heero conjured up an image in his mind of the last time they practiced. It was mid evening, the monastery was quiet, and many of the monks were in the temple. He and Fumio had climbed up onto the thick white stone boundary wall of the monastery, elevating them high above the thick-forested land below that continued uninterrupted into the distance until it blended into the vast mountainous terrain beyond. The fiery orange sun was just a few minutes from nestling itself down behind the mountains for the night, causing the sky to radiate the most spectacular shades of orange, red and blue imaginable. As they both took their stances to begin to practice the moves, Heero recalled feeling a most powerful sense of awe and exhilaration as he soaked up the incredible masterpiece of nature set before them.

"It can be quite… inspiring, at times" he suggested quietly.

"How long do you intend to remain living there?" asked Trowa.

Heero suddenly broke from his deep thoughts,

"Hmm? Oh, don't know for sure. Maybe another few months, maybe less, Maybe more, I just don't know yet. I'll see how things develop."

The giggling Orange-robed monk sat victoriously on Wufei's stomach waving his fists in the air after finally, at long last, getting him to yield. Wufei was sprawled on his back, exhausted after wresting for the past twenty or so minutes. He lay there for a moment; just trying to catch his breath, until he suddenly caught the faint but delectable smell of something cooking. He glanced toward the main house and could see smoke and steam rising from the Barbeque.

"You hungry?", he asked his captor, still sat on his stomach.

Fumio nodded,

"Starving! and really thirsty too" he replied climbing up off Wufei, then reaching a hand down to help him up.

"Me too," replied Wufei getting up, accepting his help, "Come on, let's get something to eat"

Fumio nodded, and they prepared to start their walk across the vast lawn back towards the house. After straightening their tousled clothes and dusting the loose blades of grass off each other, they set off towards the house.

A few seconds after they began to walk, Fumio suddenly stopped,

"Oops! The Sword!" he suddenly remembered, then span round and ran back towards the tree to fetch it.

Wufei continued walking on slowly, knowing Fumio would catch up with him, and a few moments later he heard the soft thuds of running footsteps approach him again.

As he approached, an unbroken voice called out,

"Piggyback!!"

Wufei turned his head just in time to see the boy leaping into the air towards him, and moments later the giggling boy landed on his back.

"Aren't you a little old to be having a piggyback ride?" asked Wufei.

"Fujita san gives them to me all the time back home at the monastery."

Wufei grinned,

"Oh well, whatever. I don't mind", he commented, hoisting Fumio further up onto his back, securing his arms under his legs as they began the walk back across the lawn towards the house.

They were greeted with warm and friendly gestures from everyone on reaching the patio, where everyone was gathered.

After tucking in to some seriously tasty refreshments, the entire group spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening playing games on the lawn, and generally relaxing.

Everyone had gained something positive that day. For most, it was the simple benefit of just being able to relax in the warm sun in the company of loyal and trusted friends, but for some, it was a lot more.

Turn to part 3...


	3. Part Three

One Small Step

Part Three (Chapters 11- 15)

Chapter Eleven

Two O'clock in the morning, darkness all around. Heero restlessly twitching and fidgeting in his sleep, his head rolling feverishly from side to side as the disjointed and disturbing images flashed randomly over and over again in his mind.

Violent explosions, the sound of gunfire nearby, a lone voice crying out in pain, a surreal sense of death and destruction at every turn, with no way out.

Burning fires, their searing, suffocating heat clawing at his flesh as he silently observes the sheer living hell in which he seemed totally immersed.

A blinding flash of light, another massive explosion, the rumbling vibrations knocking the air from his lungs as the crashing sounds of smashing glass came at him from every direction...

"Uuhhhh!" Heero yelled out, sitting bolt upright in his bed, his eyes wide open, gasping to catch his breath. Sweat running down the sides of his face, his hair matted, and sticking to his forehead.

The explosions and sounds of breaking glass were still deafening and echoing all around him. He could feel the vibrations through the bed he was sat upon.

He held still for a few heart-stopping seconds trying to figure out what was going on, as the deafening rumbles began to fade. Despite the disorientation, he quickly realised that he had been dreaming, and had just woken up.

Suddenly, the whole room illuminated with another flash of light from outside the window. Heero quickly noted his surroundings, and then began to calm down as he realised he was safe in his room. He had only woken in the middle of a severe thunderstorm.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he realised the terrible images he was witnessing moments earlier were only a product of his imagination. Or were they? He suddenly thought back to the sound of breaking glass. "Did I dream that? No! That was real!" he was certain.

His heart quickened again as he began to realise he'd actually been woken by the sound of smashing glass.

Feeling an urgent need to investigate, He quickly got out of bed and headed for the door. He was already dressed, a habit he'd still found too difficult to abandon, he only needed to slip on his boots as he passed by the foot of the bed.

He opened his room door and peered cautiously into the corridor. At about the same time, Wufei was stepping out from his own room two doors down. His face too, etched with a cautious curiosity just like Heero's.

"Wufei?" called Heero quietly, so as not to wake the others.

Wufei saw him and began walking over to him.

"I thought I heard something breaking," he whispered uneasily in a hushed voice "You think it could be burglars?"

"I don't know," whispered Heero, "But if it is... they've definitely picked the wrong house tonight."

"It sounded close-by," suggested Wufei. Heero nodded, agreeing.

Simultaneously, they both turned to face the door of the room nestled between their own rooms. It was Fumio's.

"I think it may have come from there," suggested Wufei

Heero nodded and approached the door a little apprehensive of what he might find behind it. He knocked quietly three times.

"Fumio?" he called quietly. There was no response.

He turned the handle and peered into the room. It was dark, too dark to see, so he stepped in and flicked on the light switch.

Fumio was nowhere to be seen. His bed had been slept in but was empty, the covers thrown off to one side. Wufei followed him into the room and saw Heero suddenly begin to search the corners and hiding places of the room with a great urgency.

"Fumio?!" he called out, hastily pacing over to the wardrobe and opening it. It was empty. "Fumio? Where are you?" Heero called again, scanning his eyes urgently all over the room, his voice anxious and concerned.

"Heero... look," said Wufei pointing to the half open curtain being disturbed by the gusting breeze buffeting through it.

They hurried over to the window. It was a non-opening type, leaded with small rectangular panes of glass inset. Heero quickly pulled the curtain fully open.

They both gasped with astonishment as they realised that one whole corner of the window had been literally ripped away. Several panes of glass had been smashed and part of the lower window frame was missing. The leaded beams had been pushed with such force that they had bent outwards leaving a gap just large enough for a small person to climb through.

"Oh crap!" gasped Heero holding his hands on either side of his head, his voice in a slight panic, "Not again! No! Not again!"

He quickly pressed his face up against the intact part of the window and looked out into the rainy night, but it was too dark. He could see very little.

Wufei stared at him, mouth agape, his faced etched with a thousand questions.

Suddenly Heero took to his heels, bolting for the door, running down the stairs and aiming toward the rear of the house. Wufei followed close behind.

Moments later the mansion's exterior lights were activated and the kitchen rear door burst open. The two pilots emerged into the heavy rainstorm, and ran across the wet patio to the area directly below Fumio's first floor window. Several large shards of glass and a chunk of window frame lay broken on the ground.

Heero's breath quickened, his face etched with alarm at what he saw next; some of the glass was heavily smeared with blood. There were small red pools and drips splattered all around the debris, slowly dissolving into the puddle-soaked patio. The two pilots looked at each other in silent horror, their soaking wet faces suddenly illuminated by a great flash of lightening followed by a deafening rumble of thunder.

Wufei crouched down to investigate further and was almost blown over by the howling wind. He quickly noticed several more spots of blood that trailed off in the direction of the lawn. Heero also spotted the trail. They both stood for a moment, looking out across the semi-illuminated lawn but could see very little.

Heero suddenly yelled out across the lawn,

"Fumio!!" There was no reply. His voice was lost in the gusting wing and dampened further by the torrential rain.

"Wufei, wake Sally up, quick!" urged Heero as he quickly began jogging out towards the darkness, briefly illuminated by another flash of lightening, "I'll start searching, join me as quickly as you can!"

Wufei nodded. He didn't need to be asked twice. Immediately he raced back into the house and headed for the stairs. Moments later he was hammering his fist on Sally's room door.

"What's all the commotion about? Wufei?" asked Quatre yawning tiredly, wandering up the hallway in his PJ's and dressing gown as another flash of lightening lit up the hallway.

Just then, Sally's door opened and she peered out, squinting at the bright lights of the hallway. Wufei turned to them both, deep concern etched on his face.

"It's Fumio!" he gasped, in a slight panic himself, "He's missing… I'm uncertain why, but I think he's running scared."

"What?" gasped Quatre suddenly waking up fully, "How? When?"

"No time to explain!" replied Wufei urgently, "We think he is injured. There is blood, lot's of blood… We have to find him quickly!"

"Oh my God!" gasped Sally suddenly running back into her room to quickly throw on some clothes.

"Come on Wufei, we'd better wake the others," suggested Quatre. Wufei nodded and they headed in opposite directions, running to each of the other rooms to wake the occupants.

Within a few minutes, everyone had quickly thrown on some outdoor clothes and had gathered in the kitchen. Quatre ran to a store cupboard to one side of the room and moments later appeared carrying a number of torches and two-way radio's. He dumped them all on the large wooden table in the room's centre.

"Here, quickly, everybody grab a torch", he commanded, then began turning on and testing each radio.

Wufei was looking anxious. He was hovering in the doorway, unsure whether to just run outside and start looking, or to wait for the others.

"Wufei?" asked Quatre, noting his state of unease, "Do you know which direction he could have headed?"

Wufei pointed out of the open door into the darkness,

"The blood appeared to trail off in the direction of the lake; I think that's where we should start to search."

Quatre nodded and started handing out the radio's to everyone.

"Use channel one everybody," he suggested, "Sally, you should stay here and make whatever preparations you need to receive incoming wounded." Sally nodded in agreement.

Suddenly Quatre seemed to don his 'professional strategists' mask. He, after all was highly trained and skilled in the subject, something all of the others had come to learn and respect immensely during the war. As he began giving out what sounded like orders, the others obeyed without question, each knowing fully that he was the natural leader among them. They had all realised that if anyone was going to be able to organise them into finding Fumio in the shortest possible time, it was Quatre. They also realised that he was the only one in the room who knew the mansion's grounds intimately.

"Sal, do you have any medical kit?" he asked.

"I'm already on to it!" she called back, heading for the door, "I've got all I need in my vehicle, just go! I'll be ready!" her voice faded as she ran down the corridor towards the main entrance hall.

Quatre quickly pulled a dry-wipe marker pen from one of the kitchen drawers and began to scribble a simple map on the dark varnished table surface.

"Ok, this is the house, here are the grounds, the lake, the boathouse, greenhouse, maze, and the boundary wall."

He drew with incredible speed knowing time was of the essence. In the corner of his eye he noticed Wufei still hovering anxiously near the door, seeming desperate to get out and start searching, but hesitant to do so.

"Wufei, please look at this!" demanded Quatre, his voice urgent and authoritative. It was exactly what was needed to give Wufei something to re-focus his nervous energy on. He immediately broke from his distracted state and hurried over to the table.

Quatre placed a hand on his elbow and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"Please, understand Wufei, thirty seconds spent here will save us vital minutes out there."

Wufei nodded, understanding Quatre's reasoning.

Quatre quickly drew some more lines onto the map, cutting it into searchable sections, concentrating particularly on the lake area.

He looked up at the others and addressed them, speaking quickly, but precisely...

"Ok guys, with the radio's, we can search individually. If you locate him, get straight on to the radio for backup. We don't know exactly why he's out there, but from what Wufei described, and because he's injured, I'm guessing he's running on pure adrenaline. So, bearing in mind his highly trained fighting skills, use caution in your approach. If you are in any doubt about approaching him, if he looks like he's ready to take flight again, or you suspect his state of mind will cause him to believe that you are a threat, then sit tight until backup arrives." There was a general nodding of heads from the rest of the group.

"Trowa, you take this area", he pointed to a section of the map, "be sure to check behind the outbuilding there too."

Trowa nodded,

"Got it!"

Quatre handed him a radio,

"Go now, good luck!"

Trowa nodded and hurried out of the back door, disappearing off to the left of the building.

"Duo, I want you to take this area..."

One by one, and in an extremely short amount of time, Quatre had organised the entire group to cover the entire grounds. He was the last one to leave; his first place to search being the garden maze, as he was the only one who knew how to get in and out of it speedily.

Sweeping torchlight beams illuminated in the heavy wind and rain. In every part of the Winner Mansion grounds, the worried group searched frantically for their young friend, calling out his name in the vain hope that he would reply, but it was to no avail.

Heero had searched everywhere around the lake and boathouse where he was sure Fumio would be, but with no luck. His inner panic was growing, knowing his brother could be bleeding to death. He stood at the end of the long lawn thinking for a moment. He was soaked to the skin, and the blustery wind was chilling him to the bone. He had gooseflesh on his arms and legs, and icy shivers constantly ran down his spine, but he was too distracted to even care.

"Come on Heero! Think!" he uttered to himself, trying to see the situation as if he was the one doing the running.

He tried to project his mind into his Fumio's mind, trying to apply all of their Gundam self-preservation skills and combat training into the equation.

He closed his eyes, concentrating hard,

"I'm on the run… I don't want to get caught… I break out through the window…" he began rubbing his temples trying to concentrate harder.

"I… I see there's my blood… I don't want my enemy to follow me, so I… I must mislead my enemy into believing…"

He opened his eyes

"That's it!" he gasped, suddenly making a bolt towards the house.

Some thirty seconds later Heero had run past the main house and was heading down the sweeping white gravel drive towards the main entrance gate. Not more than about twenty paces from the gate, a flashlight beam suddenly illuminated in his face.

"Heero?" came an inquisitive voice.

"Wu… Wufei?" he panted, slightly out of breath from his run, shielding his eyes from the bright light.

Wufei quickly redirected the beam away from Heero's face. He had been searching the hedges running along the front boundary wall, but had found no clues.

Heero approached him, and urgently started explaining the theory he had come up with, continuously fighting to make his voice heard over the noise of the rumbling thunder, wind and heavy rain.

"Wufei, I think he might have already left the grounds!" He yelled, pointing to the main gates.

"But.. how do you kn…?"

"The blood! The trail of blood pointing towards the lake!" interrupted Heero, "I think it was a decoy, he used it to throw us off his trail!"

"But why?" shouted Wufei.

"I don't have time to explain!" replied Heero, Yelling his reply, "But I know that his self-preservation instincts are likely to have kicked in! Nine years of Gundam training means that his idea of self-preservation is being in enemy territory and needing to get away at all costs!" he continued, still shouting to make himself heard over the wind and rain which seemed to be getting louder. "Quickly! Help me search the main gate!"

Wufei agreed. They hurriedly made their way to the huge iron front gates, and began searching for signs or clues to validate Heero's theory.

Suddenly, Wufei's torch beam came to a halt on one of the upright bars.

"Heero! Look!" he yelled, his voice almost being drowned out by a particularly loud clap of thunder.

They both peered at the bar. It was red with blood.

"He must have climbed through here!" shouted Heero, "Come on, we have to go after him!"

The vertical bars on the gate were just too small for them to climb between, so they hurried to the service entrance, a small wrought iron gate set into one of the main stone turrets.

Moments later were on the other side of the gate standing on the forested country road.

Wufei handed Heero the torch suggesting he looked for a clue to see which direction Fumio had taken, whilst he got on the radio to inform the others.

"This is Wufei! We've found blood on the main entrance gate! We think he has gone outside of the grounds!" he yelled into the handset. "We could use some help up here, oh, and can someone get the main gates open?"

The radio crackled for a moment, then a few seconds later there came a reply,

"This is Quatre! I'm near the house, I'll take care of the gates, stand-by."

Then came another response,

"This is Hilde, I've just met up with Trowa. We can be there in about two minutes."

Suddenly, a soft bleeping could be heard, then, the two bright lights sat on top of each gate turret illuminated the grounds inside. There was a loud, 'unlocking clunk' as the heavy main gates began to swing open automatically. Quatre had obviously activated the main switch from inside the house.

Another couple of voices came back over the radio confirming they could be at the main gates within minutes. Then Sally's voice came on,

"This is Sally! I've got the kit ready and have some blankets standing by. I've set up in the kitchen area! Let me know as soon as you locate him and I'll head out to you with a stretcher!"

"Wufei! There!!" suddenly yelled Heero, pointing to more spots of blood on the road surface which led into the thick green vegetation of the forest on the opposite side of the road.

They ran to the edge of the forest. The foliage and shrubs were immensely dense and overgrown making the idea of a search almost impossible.

"Damn! How the hell are we going to find him in this?" gasped Heero, his voice beginning to get anxious again.

All of a sudden they heard running footsteps behind them. They both span round. Heero shone the torch towards the sound.

Noin and Duo came running through the gates and stood in the road.

"Any luck guys?" called Duo, shielding his eyes from Heero's torchlight.

"Damn! I thought that was him!" remarked Heero, his voice drowned out by the sounds of the wind-driven rain hitting the canopy of trees above them.

"We think he's in here somewhere!" yelled Wufei, pointing in to the thick forest, "It's very dense! We were trying to figure out how we're going to search it!"

"Well, it looks like we'll have to just wade in and do it the old fashioned way!" suggested Duo donning his 'never give up' mask, "Come on, there's no time to waste!"

They all spread out and began the search again. Wufei had teamed up with Heero as they only had one torch between them. A few minutes later the rest of the group had joined in.

Everyone continuously called out Fumio's name as they searched, but after twenty minutes the situation was beginning to feel more and more desperate. The voices calling out began to sound progressively more anxious as the time moved on. Still they searched on, not knowing what else they could do.

The group was spreading apart further trying to cover the most area in the shortest time. The calling voices of the others were becoming more distant as they ventured further from each-others locations.

The rain was relentless. Everyone was soaked to the skin. The wind gusted through the trees with howling force hampering the search effort.

The thunder and lightening showed no signs of giving up, but the continuing flashes of lightening periodically illuminated their way. Wufei couldn't see too much after giving his torch to Heero, but his eyes had adjusted fairly well to the darkness.

Heero looked jadedly at Wufei, the rain washing down his face, dripping off the end of his nose.

"This is hopeless!" he yelled, his voice sounding desperate, "There has to be another way! We'll never find him like this!" Wufei sensed the despair in his voice.

"No! We must keep looking Heero!!" he shouted in reply, squeezing a reassuring hand onto his shoulder "We mustn't give up!"

Heero sighed and nodded, "Ok! I think we should try going this way", he pointed with his torch to an un-searched area of the undergrowth deeper into the woodland.

Wufei nodded, agreeing and they changed course, heading over towards the area.

A few minutes later, Wufei suddenly stopped.

Heero looked back and noticed him.

"What is it?" he shouted over another rumble of thunder.

"I'm not sure!" yelled Wufei back, scanning the area with his eyes.

He had suddenly felt an odd sensation within his own mind, and out of the blue, was compelled to remember the feelings he had experienced earlier that day, where he had sensed the two wild deer in the field.

Feeling a need to investigate further, Wufei closed his eyes and tried to focus in on whatever he had just sensed. He instinctively found himself looking downwards and pointing his palms towards the ground.

Heero could see he was obviously trying to concentrate on something,

"Maybe he heard something," he thought silently to himself.

Wufei remained completely still, but after some fifteen seconds or so, Heero Began to grow impatient.

"Wufei? What are you doing?!" He yelled again.

"Just wait!" shouted Wufei back, sounding a little annoyed at being interrupted.

Heero, reluctantly buttoned it, and watched silently.

Wufei took a deep breath, trying with all his mental power to focus in on whatever he had just felt.

"Was that just my imagination?" he thought silently to himself, "No! It was more than that!"

He tried focusing some more.

As another flash of lightening lit up the forest, Wufei suddenly opened his eyes and looked straight at Heero, seeming slightly startled.

"Heero! Quickly! Give me the torch!" He yelled reaching out his hand.

Without question, Heero swiftly handed him the torch.

Wufei immediately began heading off to the right, not far from where they had already searched. Heero looked a little confused, but he could see that he was on to something, so he followed without question.

After about a minute of picking their way through the undergrowth, Wufei began to pick up the pace. Like a bloodhound picking up a scent, he firstly broke into a trot, then, as the feelings within his mind began to grow stronger, he began to run.

About two minutes later, Wufei came to a halt, shining his torch ahead into some tall bushes nestled around a large clump of trees.

"Fumio!" he called loudly, but there was still no reply.

"Heero, help me search here!" he yelled.

Heero looked oddly at his fellow pilot, then, figuring they had nothing to loose, began quickly peering into various parts of the large bushes and undergrowth. Wufei did the same, shining his torch into the depths of the foliage.

Suddenly Wufei jumped, lurching backwards slightly, startled.

Staring back at him through the torchlight was a pair of wide-open, terrified eyes...

Chapter Twelve

"Fumio!" gasped Wufei in a shocked tone, hastily crouching down and reaching a hand firmly onto his shoulder, "Fumio, are you okay?"

There was no response. Wufei called again, shaking his shoulder, but still with no success. "Heero! Over here! Quick!" called Wufei, feeling his heart quicken.

The young fighting monk was kneeling on the ground, just staring blankly ahead and shivering feverishly, a combination of the cold and shock. His rain soaked face was smeared with blood and dirt, as were his clothes; the thick white cotton pyjamas and white socks he had been wearing in bed before his sudden need to flee. His breathing was panicked and rapid, like that of a panting dog, and the look in his open-wide staring eyes was that of terror, complete, unyielding terror.

He was soaked to the skin. Wufei quickly scanned the torch across his body to search for injuries.

"The blood had to come from somewhere", he thought to himself, now feeling the panic starting to set in.

He didn't search for long before he noticed the entire sleeve of Fumio's right arm was completely covered in blood. The thick liquid continued to trickle down and off his hand into a dark red puddle that had formed beside him on the earthy forest floor. It looked serious.

Suddenly Heero appeared and crouched down, urgently, almost violently snapping away some of the intruding foliage.

"Fumio!!" he yelled, reaching in and gripping him firmly by the shoulders, "It's me, Heero!! It's ok! you're safe now! Fumio??"

Oh hearing his brother's voice, Fumio seemed to snap out of his trance-like state. He blinked then looked straight at Heero as if suddenly waking from a nightmare. The look of terror increased on his face as he began to feel a massive sense of disorientation and panic.

"He! He! He! Heer! He!" He stammered, desperately needing to communicate with Heero, but he was shaking and trembling to the point where it was effecting his breathing too much. He began to cough.

"Shhh!" replied Heero, squeezing his shoulders, "Don't try to speak. Just calm it down Fumio. Shhh!" assured Heero, trying to muster the calmest voice he could under the circumstances.

Wufei had stood up and taken off his outer top. He gave it to Heero and instructed him to wrap it around the wound on Fumio's arm. Heero complied as Wufei called for backup on the radio.

"This is Wufei and Heero. We have him, I repeat, we've located Fumio!" he yelled.

Heero roughly bandaged the wound on Fumio's arm, then scooped him up in his arms and stood up.

"Tell them we're heading back right now," he informed Wufei as he began carefully negotiating his way back through the undergrowth towards the road. "Tell Sally we could use the stretcher and we'll meet her on the way".

Within a few minutes, they'd arrived back at the mansion in the kitchen area. Fumio was quickly wrapped in some thick blankets and perched onto the table where Sally proceeded to hastily check the large wound on his right arm. Despite there being a massive sense of relief that he had been found, the rest of the group stood nearby, looking on anxiously.

He was still panting and shivering badly, still feeling very disorientated and panicked, but he was putting on a brave face. As Sally unwrapped Wufei's blood-soaked top from the cut arm, she knew it wasn't going to be a pretty site. She got Noin to sit next to Fumio on the table and cradle his head against her shoulder, encouraging him to look away.

After examining and cleaning the wound up a little, Sally seemed to breath a sight of relief,

"Well, it's a big cut, but he's missed the main artery and nerves," she assured, not speaking to anyone in particular, "Looks like you're going to be just fine Fumio", she smiled him one of her compassionate smiles. "I've got some special skin-binding tape that will take care of this. A couple of bandages and a warm bath, you'll be as good as new."

There were audible sighs of relief from the group, most of whom were shivering from their cold, soaked clothes.

Noin could feel Fumio's teeth chattering from where she had her hand pressed against his face.

"You got any extra heating in here Quatre?" asked Heero, also spotting the chattering teeth.

"Yes, I think I can sort something out," replied Quatre. He walked around the large table and ignited the huge, stainless steel oven, not far from the table where they were sat, leaving the door open, causing the heat to fill the room quickly. Several members of the group wandered over and began to warm themselves.

As he began to calm down and regain his bearings, Fumio could feel his nerve starting to slip. He wasn't going to be able to keep up the brave face for much longer as he began to become overwhelmed with anxiety about what had just happened. His eyes began to glaze.

Sally could sense he was starting to loose it.

"Guy's, do you want to give us a little privacy here?" she asked, "I'm sure having a gawping audience is not making things any easier! Eh kid?" she asked him, tenderly cupping her hand on his chin, smiling.

He stared up at her and nodded slightly, his wide cobalt blue eyes becoming more glazed by the second.

Everyone took the hint, understanding Sally's concern and began filtering out of the door and towards the main hallway leaving just Sally and Noin in the room. Before he left, Heero stood in front of his brother and looked him in the eye. He briefly cupped his hand on his Brother's dirty face,

"Don't worry," he suggested, hinting a slight smile, doing his best to reassure him, "You're gonna be just fine," then broke away, heading for the door.

He entered the corridor and caught up with the others, who were hovering around in the entrance hall looking a little numb, all still cold and dripping wet

All eyes looked his way. Duo was the first to comment.

"Heero, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, I mean, I'm totally relieved that he's safe... but would you mind telling us what the hell that was that all about?" His voice sounded tired and troubled. The rest of the group remained silent, listening for some kind of response from Heero.

Heero seemed to ponder a reply, but was reluctant to tell. He gave a sigh as he began heading towards the foot of the stairs.

"The only thing I want to do right now, is get out of these wet clothes," he replied wryly, purposely avoiding Duo's question. He started to climb the stairs. The others watched him in silence. They were keen for some kind of explanation, but could see he was looking deeply troubled, so accepted that now probably wasn't the best time to push for answers.

On the tenth stair, Heero hesitated, casting his eyes back towards the group. He sighed heavily;

"Thanks… Thanks for your help here tonight… I'm glad you guys were here to help." His voice was tired, but genuinely appreciative. There were subtle nods in response.

As he stood there, a suppressed weep suddenly echoed down the corridor from the open kitchen door, followed by sounds of Sally and Noin doing their best to comfort the somewhat traumatised boy. Many of the group cast saddened eyes towards the kitchen.

"Damn!" uttered Heero quietly to himself, as he began to hastily ascend the stairs and head for his room.

"I guess the rest of us should get out of these wet clothes", suggested Quatre, his teeth now chattering with the cold "Why don't we talk about it in the morning?"

"Well, I don't know about you guys," remarked Wufei, "But I don't think I'll be able to sleep anymore tonight, think I'll just stay up now."

"Think I'll do the same", suggested Trowa, "I'm not afraid to admit, my hands are still shaking, so I've got no chance of sleeping."

"Mine too!" observed Duo, holding his slightly trembling hands out in front of him, "Looks like we're still running on adrenaline," he suggested, "It's been a while since I felt like this. I used to get it a lot after battles."

"Tell you what then," spoke Quatre, shifting the subject, "I'll prepare some hot drinks for anyone who doesn't want to go back to bed. Just give me some time to get a change of clothes."

There was a general agreement and words of thanks as people dispersed back to their rooms.

It was over an hour later when Hilde emerged from her room. She had managed to thaw herself out by soaking in a hot bath for a while.

She realised that Heero had seemed a little upset by the events of earlier, so made a point of checking in on him on her way downstairs. She knocked quietly on his door, knowing it was unlikely he would be sleeping.

"What is it?" came the subdued reply.

"It's Hilde Heero, can I come in for a minute?" she replied gently.

There was a pause,

"Uh-huh."

Hilde gingerly opened the door.

It was dark. Only a small table lamp illuminated the far side of the room. Hilde scanned her eyes around trying to adjust them to the low light. Eventually she spotted Heero sat on the floor leaning back against the wall below one of the windows. He was staring blankly ahead obviously mulling over the many thoughts going through his mind.

She closed the door behind her and walked over.

"Oh Heero!" she sighed compassionately, crouching down beside him, looking into his slightly reddened eyes.

"What's up Hilde?" he asked in a whispered voice.

She said nothing, but looked at him with a kind-hearted expression. Then she leaned in, reaching her arms around him in a gentle embrace.

"It's alright," she whispered.

Her caring gesture fell straight onto his saddened heart. Without hesitation he returned the hug, wrapping his arms firmly around her, pressing his chin into her shoulder and closing his eyes.

She sighed sympathetically.

"I realise you're upset Heero, but it's ok, really," she assured.

He cleared his throat,

"Oh, I'm all right, It's just that I feel so powerless to do anything, that's all," his voice sounding quiet, and a little croaky, "It's just so damn frustrating."

They broke from their embrace and Hilde sat on the floor right next to him so they could talk. She snuggled up to him, taking his arm under hers, holding on to his hand.

"So how often does this happen?" she asked, realising this couldn't have been the first time.

Heero sighed,

"It's happened a few times in the past few months, but... It's never been as bad as today," he replied, his voice sounding troubled, "It's never been this serious before."

Hilde nodded. She had suspected as much.

She looked into his eyes, "You're really close to him, aren't you," She asked rhetorically, her voice whispered, "Even though you'd have us believe otherwise, I can still see it Heero, it's as plain as the nose on your face."

Heero looked towards the ground and nodded reluctantly. "We've been through so much, how can we not be close?"

"I understand how frustrating this must be for you both," she added.

Heero sighed again, "Yes, it's very frustrating. How?... how do you fight an enemy you can't see?!" he asked, his voice now sounding exasperated, "It terrifies him Hilde, it absolutely terrifies him, and there's not a damn thing I, or anyone else can seem to do about it."

Hilde listened sympathetically.

"He was out there today, My God! He must have felt so alone!" he gasped, "That's what he fears the most, being alone when it happens."

He turned his head and looked at her. She could see the torment in his saddened eyes.

"Hilde… The truth is, I don't know what to do!" he said in a pleading whisper, his voice barely audible, "I just don't know what to do."

Hilde nodded, empathising with his frustration.

"Listen to me Heero," she said, holding his hand firmly. "There is a way to deal with this, there _has_ to be! Out there, somewhere, there is an answer and a solution." she assured, borrowing Duo's 'never give up' mask. "And after seeing what happened here tonight, I don't think anyone in this building will rest another moment until we can find that solution."

Heero looked at her, feeling a little uncomfortable about the idea of the whole group getting drawn in.

"I'm not so sure," he replied, mulling the proposal over in his mind, "I don't think I want everyone involved in this. There will be too much fuss implicated, and that, well, that could be even more damaging for him."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I think the fewer people who know about this, the less fuss will be made, and the easier it will be on him. I know I certainly wouldn't want my personal problems discussed by a large group of people."

"Heero! Get real!" said Hilde Firmly, almost sounding irritated by his last statement.

"Just look at the resources you have at your disposal right here, right now! In this very building!" he voice remained firm, but compassionate.

"There are eight highly trained people in this house right now who are vastly skilled and experienced to an elite level. We all have unparalleled intelligence sources and access to facilities that the average citizen doesn't even know exists! Most of us have built up some favours we can 'call in' at any time. If you're going to find answers Heero, you need us!"

He listened carefully, nodding slightly. Her argument was as valid, as it was wise.

"You can't pass up an opportunity like this Heero." she added, almost pleading with him, "Asking for help is not a sigh of weakness, if anything, it's a sign of strength. You mustn't be afraid to ask for help Heero, For Fumio's sake, you have to let go of your doubts and trust us to help you."

He continued to hear her out, nodding his head slightly, but still looked undecided.

"And so what!" she continued in a now stern voice,

"So what if Fumio's problems are discussed by the rest of the group! What?! You think we're going to poke fun at him or something? Or that he'll become some object of ridicule? Come off it Heero! You must realize that would never happen!"

She paused, sighing, suddenly her voice changed to a much calmer tone.

"We've only known him for two days, and already most of the group have fallen in love with him! Surely you can see that Heero?"

Heero nodded subtly, reluctantly, continuing to listen to Hilde's very convincing argument. Somehow, He couldn't help but feel that she'd just given him a swift kick in the butt. He also began to realise he'd needed this wake-up call for a long time.

"The truth is Heero, I think everyone is as deeply concerned about what they saw tonight as you are. We just want to help."

"Ok… ok! I'll do it!" he replied positively, "You're right, I should, and I will ask for help. And yes, perhaps I should have done it a lot sooner," he reluctantly admitted.

Hilde squeezed his hand again, laying her head gently onto his shoulder.

"You're making the right choice Heero, unquestionably the right choice"

Chapter Thirteen

Hilde stayed with him a while longer before heading off downstairs.

Heero finally took a shower and found himself some dry clothes, simultaneously allowing himself more time to reflect on what had happened, and how he was going to approach the others for help.

Some half an hour later, he made his way back downstairs.

It was just after six in the morning and almost fully light outside. The horrendous thunderstorm from earlier had completely cleared and another fine day looked in prospect. Heero could hear talking voices coming from the lounge, so he opened the door and stepped in.

Most of the group were there, milling around on several of the large sofas, quietly discussing the unfortunate events of the night. The only people missing were Sally, and Quatre.

"Hey Heero," came the subdued, almost sombre greetings in staggered unison from most in the room.

"You Ok Heero?" asked Noin, her tone suggesting a sympathetic concern.

Heero looked back at Noin and nodded appreciatively, noticing Fumio sprawled on the sofa with his head resting in her lap. He was fast asleep.

Saying nothing, Heero silently walked over and stood beside them. He looked down at the boy.

Fumio had obviously taken a bath or shower and looked a lot more comfortable. He'd been given some warm dry clothes in the form of a grey fleece top, soft dark blue cotton jogging bottoms and thick white cotton socks.

His right forearm was bandaged neatly from wrist to elbow and he bore a number of small, rather sore-looking scratches across his other arm and in several places across his face and neck. Noin was gently caressing her fingers through his soft jet-black hair, affectionately mothering him as he dozed.

"How is he?" asked Heero quietly.

Noin replied in a whispered voice,

"Physically, Sal says he's going to be fine, though she said he'll probably have a permanent scar on his arm," she replied, "Psychologically, your guess is as good as mine."

Heero was hoping for a more optimistic answer, but in a way, was grateful for the truth.

He looked down again at Fumio for a few contemplative moments.

"Where's Sally, by the way?" he asked gently, scanning his eyes around the room, "I must thank her."

"Sal went back to bed for a few hours," replied Wufei.

"Yeah she really looked tired and stressed," added Duo.

"We all suggested she went back to bed, but she was very reluctant to," added Noin, "She wanted to keep an eye on her patient, at least for a few hours."

"The only way we could get her to finally go, was to promise that we would all keep an eye on him and wake her if there were any changes in his condition," continued Wufei, "I have to admit, I admire her dedication."

Heero listened, nodding appreciatively.

Suddenly, the side door of the room opened and Quatre stepped through carrying a tray of hot drinks.

"Oh, Hey Heero," he greeted, also in a fairly sombre voice, "You Ok?" he asked concernedly.

Heero nodded, "Thanks."

"There's a tea here for you," he said, placing the tray on a table in the centre of the room, "just help yourselves guys."

Quatre was acknowledged with several nods of appreciation and thanks.

"So, Heero," said Duo reaching forward and taking a drink from the tray, "You gonna tell us what happened here tonight? Perhaps throw some light on why we're sat here drinking tea at six O'clock in the morning?"

Heero wandered over to one of the three-seat sofas and sat down next to Quatre. He reached forward and picked up a mug of tea.

"It's hard to know where to begin," he commented, his voice sounding tired and troubled. He cupped his hands around his mug of tea.

"What happened tonight is something I was praying wouldn't happen at all," he said hesitantly, "I… I didn't want you guys to see this side of him."

"You mean this has happened before?" asked Noin.

Heero Nodded. "What you saw tonight, well, it's been a problem for Fumio ever since he left the foundation, but over the past few months, these… incidents, have been getting worse. They've become more intense and more frequent. Tonight was the worst I've ever seen." he hesitated, "I… I'm just so grateful you guys were around to help."

Suddenly Heero thought back to the highly unlikely way in which Wufei had located where Fumio was hiding. With what had happened, he hadn't had time to give it any thought.

He looked up at the Shenlong pilot with a 'pondering' expression. Wufei stared back, but nothing was said.

"How did he know?" Heero thought silently to himself. "We were too far away to hear any sounds from that area. Was it luck? Maybe some kind of wild hunch? No! He was way too specific!"

He felt compelled to remember back to earlier the previous day, when Wufei had emerged from the building smiling like a Cheshire cat after doing the Samurai Meditation Ritual. He recollected believing then that Fumio's powers had influenced him somehow.

Suddenly a theory popped into his head.

"Fumio's powers must have seen this coming!" he thought silently to himself, "In some way they must have given Wufei the power to be able to find him!"

He remained in eye contact with Wufei.

Wufei was pretty sure he knew what Heero was thinking about, and he began to grow concerned that he would ask him about it in front of the others. It was a prospect he was not keen about.

Very subtly, Wufei began shaking his head from side to side, urging Heero not to say anything, but he was already safe. Heero knew he could not bring up the subject and risk Fumio's powers being discovered.

Eventually, Trowa spoke up, breaking the quiet.

"So what are we actually dealing with here Heero? What caused him to run in the first place?"

Heero sighed. "Fumio has these… conditioned responses. They've been gradually programmed into him from day one of the Gundam training program."

"But why on earth would they do that to him?" asked Hilde sounding quite perplexed, "What possible use could they be?"

"These responses enable basic self-preservation. They were designed to be a last resort 'fall-back plan' which could enable him to get away safely in a life-or-death situation," he replied, "I too have been conditioned with these same responses."

"But what's happening to Fumio, isn't it happening to you?" asked Quatre.

Heero shook his head,

"No, but I completed the training program, Fumio did not. I have full control over these abilities and can engage them at will, in circumstances where I feel they are needed. Fumio also has the ability to engage them at will, but with him, they also seem to 'kick in' at other times when he doesn't want or need them, like tonight for example."

Heero sighed again suddenly looking quite worried.

"Going on past events, he shouldn't have been due another occurrence like that for at least another few weeks."

Everyone listened in silence.

"Do you remember when I told you guys about him turning into a bag of nerves every time he heard a sudden noise like a door slamming or a dropped object, and that sometimes he'd literally end up cowering in a corner somewhere?"

Heads quietly nodded.

"Well we think that was the start of it. Every time these instincts have kicked in, they have always been triggered either by a sudden loud noise, or something that has caused him to be momentarily startled. I can only guess that today it must have been the thunder, although thunder has never bothered him before."

Quatre sat forward, "But Heero, I remember you said that he was put through that re-integration program," he commented, "You know, where they taught him to switch off his soldier instincts. So what went wrong?"

Heero took a sip of tea, then cupped his hands back around his mug.

"It was the fact that Fumio did not complete the training program that has ultimately caused these problems. The program was so complex in its design, that no one could predict the consequences of someone dropping out two thirds of the way through. It wasn't anticipated or expected, and so wasn't accounted for."

Duo suddenly thumped his fist into his other hand. He'd quietly been getting more and more disturbed as Heero explained the situation, unravelling the complex plot.

"That damn foundation again! Those bastards!" he growled, "So they're not just content with terrorizing small children in the short-term, they have to prolong the agony by screwing with their minds for the long-term too!"

"Hey! Come on! Calm it down Duo!" demanded Wufei, "None of us are happy about this, but getting irate and irrational is not going to help anyone!"

Duo sighed,

"Maybe you're right", he said, his voice calming down for a moment, "but you'd better make sure I don't meet up with any of these foundation people, because I guarantee you, I will not be responsible for my actions!"

"You're probably not the only one to be thinking like that Duo," suggested Quatre, "but Wufei's right; we have to be constructive here. We mustn't let this become an issue about revenge. We have to stay focused. This is about putting an end to an individual's suffering."

Quatre pointed across to the sleeping youngster, now curled up on his side, still with his head resting on Noin's lap.

Duo took a breath and sighed heavily, nodding again, "I'm sorry Guys, I'm just finding this whole thing so maddening! Sorry I interrupted Heero, please go on."

Heero nodded at Duo, in an understanding way. He took another sip of tea from his mug.

"There is a monk at Fumio's monastery, Lama Banai, a very knowledgeable and wise man, who's been trying for the past year to find a solution to the problem. He has specialised knowledge in this subject area and has been working closely with Fumio to try to help him switch off these troublesome instincts."

"Do you know what methods he used?" asked Quatre, sitting forward in his seat.

Heero didn't know too much of the finer details, but he began to describe everything that he did know and had witnessed.

Quatre listened closely nodding his head slightly. "Hmmm, Yes, this guy definitely knows his stuff," he commented.

Heero nodded, "I know you have knowledge and skills in this subject area too Quatre" he mentioned, "That's why we were going to have the conversation that I'd mentioned before. I just didn't anticipate us having it so soon, or with everyone else as well."

Quatre nodded, confirming Heero's comments, "I do have a number of psychology qualifications, but I'm afraid to say Heero, that I think this guy at the monastery, Lama Banai? Was it?"

Heero nodded.

"Well, it sounds like he's tried everything that I would try, and more. I don't think there's anything else I can suggest that hasn't already been tried."

Heero looked a little disappointed, but not surprised. "Two weeks ago, Lama Banai approached me and regretfully informed me that he had exhausted all avenues of investigation open to him, and was unable to progress any further," said Heero, his voice sounding sullen again. "He has concluded that the original training program was so complicated and sophisticated, the only hope to ever reverse it's effects on Fumio is to locate the actual blueprints of the original training formula, and then completely re-write a new 'reversal' program from scratch, using the blueprints as the key."

Heero took another sip from his tea, then continued, "If we can locate, and get the original training program blueprints to Lama Banai, he says he can have Fumio totally cured within as little as a month," he said, suddenly sounding more optimistic again. "The only problem is, the re-integration facility was destroyed within a couple of weeks of the commencement of Operation Meteor."

He sighed again. "Since learning this information, I've tried every trick in the book to track down these blueprints, but have drawn a blank every time. They would have been top-secret documents, so my guess is, there wouldn't have been more than one or two copies in existence. My fear now is that they may have been permanently destroyed."

His voiced sounded disheartened.

"This is the very reason that Fumio is here. Having pretty much given up on finding the blueprints, we have to do the next best thing and look for an alternative solution." He leaned forward in his chair, putting his drink down on the table, then began nervously rubbing his hands together, "I'm afraid to say this, but, probably for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm out of options, I'm at a loss on what to do next. I… I could really use some help with this one guys." His voice was unusual, nervous, almost displaying a hint of fear.

The rest of the group responded by all sitting forward in their seats.

"Well, that's what friends are for Heero!" said Quatre, almost cheerfully, "You already know I'll do everything I can to help you, whatever it takes!" he pledged.

"Count me in too Heero," said Wufei.

"Heck! We don't need to say it!" chirped Duo, "We're all in! Have been right from the very start! We can't just sit-by and do nothing! Of course we're in Heero!"

There was an enthusiastic nodding of heads from all around the room from everyone agreeing with Duo's words.

Heero wasn't sure how to react, though he felt encouraged. He nodded in obvious appreciation. "I'm not sure what to say, but I'm grateful," he replied, "Very grateful."

Chapter Fourteen

For the next hour, at the request of the others, Heero went over the finer details of both his and Fumio's past. Dates, times, places, names, absolutely anything that could help in their quest to locate the original blueprints to Fumio's training program. Noin in particular seemed optimistic about there still being a chance of tracking down the blueprints. As Heero described some of the places and names, she kept making references of vague familiarity.

At about the same time as Quatre opened the small side door and entered the room carrying their third tray of hot drinks that morning, the main room door opened and Sally entered.

"Morning everyone… again!" she yawned tiredly, in a half-hearted attempt at humour. There were nods and subdued words of greeting.

"Did you managed to get some more sleep Sal?" asked Wufei.

Sally nodded, yawning again. Quatre put the tray back down on the table and headed straight back out of the side door. Moments later he appeared again carrying a strong black coffee and handed it to her. She nodded in appreciation.

"Looks like I've got you well trained," she grinned tiredly, "Thanks Cat."

Quatre smiled and nodded back.

"So, how's my patient?" she asked, walking towards Noin's position.

Fumio was still curled up on the sofa beside her, still with his head resting on her lap. Hilde had recently covered him over with a blanket.

"He's been fine," replied Noin quietly, "he's been sleeping soundly."

Sally crouched down beside him and briefly inspected the bandaging on his arm.

"That's good", she commented. "The more he sleeps, the faster he'll heal."

She affectionately stroked the back of her fingers across his cheek before getting up and joining Heero and Quatre on the sofa, sitting between them on the three-seater.

"Sal, thanks for your help last night", said Heero in a grateful tone, nodding appreciatively.

"I don't think I would have been quite so… so calm if you weren't around."

Sal patted her hand on his shoulder.

"You're very welcome Heero. I'm just sorry about what happened. Have you guys managed to make any sense of it yet?"

There were nods from all round the room, and for the next few minutes, Sally was brought up to speed on the situation, and the plans to help track down the blueprints.

Fumio quietly opened his eyes. He had heard mumbled talking for the past few minutes, although he hadn't taken much notice of what it was about. He lay still for a moment, gathering his thoughts and his bearings. He felt the soreness from the cuts and scratches on his face and arms, and a particularly nasty sting coming from his right forearm. Without moving, he cast his eyes towards the arm and immediately spotted the white bandage.

He felt a sinking in his heart.

"Oh no!" he suddenly gasped silently to himself, "It really did happen again! I just thought I was dreaming."

A sense of inner panic came over him as he re-played over and over the series of dreamy and disjointed images he had somehow acquired within his mind. He tried to piece them together to figure out what events must have taken place.

He suddenly sat up, looking a little startled. Immediately the whole room went silent, before gentle, but concerned words of greeting were sent towards him.

He felt tired and confused. Trying his best to be polite, he quietly returned the greetings, simultaneously feeling a sense of embarrassment and exaggerated vulnerability. He needed to get away from there, from a room full of eyes all looking at him.

He realised that they were all eyes of concern; from people who seemed to show great care for him, but it did little to quell his need to get away. He could feel the room feverishly closing in on him, choking and suffocating. He needed to find space to breathe, to find his bearings without feeling like he was being scrutinised under a microscope.

Suddenly he stood up causing the blanket to fall to the floor.

"I… I have to… to… practice," he stuttered, wobbling slightly, feeling the blood rush to his head from getting up so quickly.

"Oh, maybe you should take things easy today Fumio?" suggested Sally, "You have had a busy night after all."

"No… I'll be fine," he replied tiredly, heading for the door, trying his best to look normal and unbothered, "But thank you for the concern."

Moments later the door clicked shut.

A slightly, confused silence hung over the room. It was obvious to everyone that he was deeply troubled. There was no sign of Fumio's usual, almost calming sense of presence as he hastily made his exit from the room almost stumbling over the blanket in the process. The whole group could see he was desperate to get out of there, they could all see the suffocating look in his eyes. They looked at each other, uncertain if or what to say or do.

Surprisingly, it was Heero who broke the silence. He could see the obvious looks of concern and puzzlement on the others' faces.

"Don't worry about him", he spoke softly, "He just needs some space for a while," was the very short, but nullifying suggestion.

"Do you think one of us should go after him?" asked Hilde.

"No, he'll be ok." was Heero's short answer again.

Quatre cleared his throat, sitting further forward.

"I think what Heero means is that it might make things worse if we go making a big fuss over him." He suggested

Heero nodded, agreeing to Quatre's comments, followed by the slight nodding of heads from the rest of the group as they understood the theory.

"He'll deal with this in his own way," suggested Heero, "Just let him be."

They continued discussing their quest to find the blueprints for another ten minutes or so, before Noin eventually left the room to use the communications equipment in Quatre's office. As their plan unfolded, it seemed more likely that Noin had the best chance of success. She had a number of connections she could contact who were the most likely to yield results, and so it was decided that she would be the one to get the quest underway.

It was about half an hour before she returned to the lounge.

"How did it go Noin?" asked Trowa.

Noin nodded positively.

"I think it went about as well as I was expecting," she replied. "I managed to get in touch with an old and trusted friend who has some powerful contacts on the colonies. When I explained the situation, he was willing to help," she commented, "and he seemed fairly optimistic that his contacts would be willing to assist too. I think he has a few favours to call in."

"Hey, that's pretty good Noin," commented Duo, "So what's next? What do we need to do now?"

"We just sit tight," she replied, "He'll be getting back to me within a few days, just as soon as he's got any news." As she spoke, she pulled a cell phone from her pocket, pointing to it, implying that he would be calling back on it.

"That's it?" asked Duo, sounding a bit confounded, "Isn't there anything else we can do in the meanwhile?"

Noin shook her head.

"Trust me Duo, this guy is good. If anyone is going to help us find what we want, it's him. So when he tells you to sit tight, then the only thing you want to be doing is actually sitting tight!"

Heero looked at Noin and nodded appreciatively.

"Well, then I guess we wait," he suggested dryly. "A few more days won't do any harm."

"But, but, but!" Stuttered Duo, "Surely, there must be something else we can do? We can't just sit here, not after what we all saw last night!" There was fretfulness in his voice.

His comments raised a number of eyebrows. It suddenly became obvious that he was more troubled about what he had witnessed that night than he was letting on.

Wufei silently looked at him, wondering about his reasoning.

Duo had already made his own feelings about the foundation perfectly clear, and for a moment Wufei wondered if he sought nothing more than retribution, and was just eager to kick some foundation butt. But there was something in Duo's tone of voice, and a hidden, almost saddened look in his eyes that quickly told Wufei that this was not about revenge at all. Behind that cheery mask of indomitability, sat a look of concern, a genuine, undeniable look of worry. Although Duo, as always, was trying his best to hide it, Wufei, and a number of the others could see it clearly. There was an odd silence in the room as most eyes fell on the American pilot.

Duo suddenly realised he was letting his mask slip. With a quick sigh, a sip of tea from his mug, and an ever-so-slight smile, the cheery mask was back in place again. The look of concern was gone, buried back down into the troubled depths of his conscience from where it had first surfaced.

"Well, it's a beautiful day!" suggested Quatre breaking the slightly uneasy silence of the room, "I do believe you ladies were planning a girls day-out into town today?" he asked.

Sally, Noin and Hilde all looked at each other.

"Well, we were", replied Sally, "But under the circumstances, I'm not so sure. Maybe we…"

"Go!" interrupted Heero in a light tone, "You don't need to be concerned, everything will be fine now."

Although nobody wanted to say anything, there seemed to be an underlying belief that what had happened to Fumio that night could happen again at any given moment. Heero however, knew otherwise. If the pattern of things were to repeat themselves, Fumio would now not be due another occurrence like that for several weeks.

"You sure Heero?" asked Sally.

Heero nodded, "There's no reason for you to stay."

"Yes, go, enjoy yourselves," suggested Duo, "We'll keep an eye on things here."

"You've got Noin's mobile communication device, so you know we can get in touch if we need to," suggested Quatre, "I'll keep mine on me too in case we decide to go out." Sally agreed.

"And if you're really lucky, we'll bake you a cake while you're gone," joked Duo, now back to his old self again.

Simultaneously all three girls answered back,

"NO!!... No! Really! That's fine guys, Really! You don't have to, err, Please!"

The mood quickly lifted as the whole group burst into laughter.

Quatre suggested they get some breakfast, so the whole group left the lounge and meandered its way towards the kitchen.

"Maybe someone should let Fumio know we're about to eat", suggested Hilde.

Wufei nodded,

"I'll go," he replied, stopping, and then heading back towards the stairs. "I'm pretty sure I know where he'll be."

Wufei was certain that Fumio would be sat out under the old oak tree by the lake, the one place where he really seemed to feel at home. It was still a little chilly and he wasn't feeling particularly warm, so he headed upstairs to his room to get a sweater before heading out there.

As Wufei emerged from his room after donning his new top, he suddenly noticed some very faint sounds coming from much further down the corridor. He became curious.

"Everyone is downstairs," he thought silently to himself, "and I do not believe there is any staff on the premises today." He began walking silently down the corridor to investigate.

As he got nearer he could hear the sound was that of a voice, accompanied by irregular, dull thuds. He realised it was coming from the mansion's gym that Quatre had recently installed on that floor.

Quatre inappropriately referred to it simply as the 'weight room'. But this room was far from being a simple room with some weights in it. A more appropriate name would have been 'Fitness Studio', but even that name didn't do it justice. It was a huge room, crammed full of the most amazing and latest high-tech fitness equipment that money could buy, including a full-sized battle-ring where almost any kind of combat skills could be practiced.

As he drew closer to the room, the sounds became clearer.

"Crazy! Stupid! Brain!" came the rather puffed out and frustrated words occurring simultaneously with the sound of heavy impacting thuds. It was Fumio.

Wufei silently approached the huge room. The door had been left ajar, allowing him to peer in unnoticed. The small monk was in the far corner of the room taking out his frustrations on a large white punch bag suspended from a long-reaching bracket on the wall. He was quietly cursing at himself through grit teeth, simultaneously punching and kicking furiously at the bag with anger.

"Stupid! Stupid! So stupid!!" came another bout of self-insults, "Why am I So weak! So stupid!" His words becoming more frustrated and angered with each impact.

Wufei remained in the corridor observing unnoticed. He could see the distress and torment written all over the boys' face. He noticed Fumio was having a hard time staying upright as his socks kept sliding on the polished wooden floor. Every time he slipped it seemed to anger him more.

Wufei silently pulled away from the doorframe, leaning his back against the wall in the corridor. He pressed his head back against the wall, looking up as the same feelings of compassion and protection that he had felt yesterday, returned to him again. He felt so bad for Fumio, but he realised he shouldn't interrupt him. He knew that anger and frustration was always better out than in, and what better way to release such emotions than on a punch bag.

"So stupid! Such a looser!!" came another round of self-inflicting expressions, "Why can't I be like Heero! Or like Wufei! Why can't I be strong like them!"

It was painful for Wufei to hear. He tried to imagine himself in the very predicament that Fumio was in. What would he do? How would he deal with it?

He struggled to find an answer, and began to realise the full extent of the frustration the boy must have been feeling.

He felt a saddened tugging on his heart. His need to see Fumio's pain end was becoming a profound weight on his mind. A part of him badly wanted to run in there and somehow convince and assure him that the pain would end and everything would be alright, but the truth was, he didn't know. If Noin's plan didn't work, he was at a loss as to what might happen in the long term.

He peered back around the doorframe into the room. Fumio was tiring rapidly. His breathing was heavy and rapid, but still he continued mustering strength from deep within to strike at the punch bag, making heavy grunting and puffing noises with each, now weakening strike. The bag was swinging back and forth and Fumio had to get his timing right to make contact with it. Suddenly he took a lunging swing and missed, causing him to spin around and slump to the ground on his butt.

Another time and place, and it might have been funny, but Fumio was far from laughing. His face became scarlet as he angrily scrambled back to his feet, now totally infuriated. Wufei cringed, biting his bottom lip as he watched the distressed boy unleash hell back at the bag.

"Agghhh! Stupid!! Stupid!! Bag!!!" he squealed through grit teeth as he desperately pummelled his tiny fists and feet into it, punching and kicking with every last drop of energy he could muster, tears now welling in his eyes and running down his cheeks.

The tugging pangs Wufei could feel on his heart were growing. He could feel an instinct building within that was urging him to go to Fumio, to do something, anything, to just be there for him, to do something to help stop the hurt. But he knew that he couldn't, he mustn't interfere, at least not yet. Fumio had to deal with this, to face up to it in his own way. Trying to protect him from it would not help.

He continued to observe. Fumio was exhausted, trembling with a lack of energy, but still he continued to launch into the bag, simultaneously cursing and sobbing with each impact.

Suddenly Wufei noticed red smear marks appearing on the white vinyl-like material of the punch bag. He focused on Fumio's right forearm and realised that the large bandage had become soaked with blood.

"Damn!" he thought to himself, "He's re-opening his wound!"

The need to intervene suddenly took on new urgency. Wufei stood hesitantly in the doorway while he finally and quickly debated whether he was doing the right thing by stepping in, before finally hurrying into the room towards the boy.

Fumio was still punching and cursing relentlessly at the bag, although it was becoming more and more difficult to muster the energy to lash out. What had once been two or three punches or kicks every second had now reduced down to one weakened punch every four or five seconds between fighting to catch his breath.

His whole body was stinging, his muscles aching and burning, begging him to stop the relentless attacks. The small cuts and scratches over his face and arms were soaked in sweat causing an inflamed burning sensation all over his flesh. The blood from his bandaged wound was now running onto his hand causing the punch bag to become a bloodied mess. Despite his near-exhaustion, still he continued battling the frustrations that continued to tear relentlessly at his mind.

Wufei arrived quickly, placing himself between Fumio and the bag. He reached out gripping the boy firmly by the upper arms.

"Fumio! Come on Kid, calm down!" he urged, "You're damaging yourself!"

At first, Fumio seemed to ignore him and tried shrugging off his hold, keeping his eyes and attention firmly fixed on the punch bag, trying to take another swing at it.

Wufei tightened his grip,

"Fumio!" he said more firmly, "At ease soldier! Come on! Stand down! Stand down! you've got to calm down!"

Suddenly Fumio broke his focus from the bag and stared up at him.

Wufei saw the distant, out-of-it look in his tearful, reddened eyes, as if his mind was completely somewhere else.

Wufei squeezed his grip on Fumio's arms again,

"That's it. Just calm down. Slow it up. Get your breath back kid," he tried to speak in a calming tone.

Fumio was still gasping for breath, sobbing at the same time. Slowly he began to lean forward, and lowered himself down until he sat tiredly, cross-legged on the floor, slumping his head downwards so his chin pressed against his chest.

Wufei continued to hold his arms, supporting him upright. He too crouched and sat on the floor so they sat opposite each other.

"That's it, just get your breath back," encouraged Wufei again, "You're going to be fine. Just calm down."

They sat there for a few minutes. Fumio continued to sob and sniff, until his breathing eventually slowed to normal and he'd calmed to just a quiet, numbed, despondent silence.

Wufei gave his shoulders a squeeze,

"You feeling better now Fumio?" he asked calmly.

Fumio gave another sniff, "You must think I'm so pathetic," he eventually mumbled in a subdued, croaky voice, still with his head slumped down, "Nothing but a weak fool."

Wufei gently put his fingers under Fumio's chin, lifting his head.

"Look at me Fumio… Look at me." he urged quietly.

Fumio looked up, his expression saddened and wounded.

"I would never think that of you," he replied in a gentle voice, "and neither would any one else. You are not a weak fool, in fact, I think you are the bravest person I have ever met."

Fumio looked a little surprised at Wufei's comments and for a moment felt slightly encouraged, but then looked down again and sighed. The frustration he had been feeling was slowly subsiding, but had left in its wake a tired numbness.

Wufei reached up and gently took the sides of Fumio's face in his hands, leaning forward, touching their foreheads together in a quiet embrace of reassurance.

"This thing… whatever it is that's making this happen to you… There has to be a way to fight it, to stop it. There _has_ to be!" he whispered, still in their embrace, unknowingly repeating the same words that Hilde had spoken to Heero earlier.

He paused for a minute, "Fumio, have faith in Heero." He added. "I've never seen him more determined to resolve an issue. Just be patient, you're in good hands."

He felt Fumio nod.

"I know," came the quiet, agreeing reply.

They broke from their hold and sat up.

"I think you should get some food inside you," suggested Wufei, sensing Fumio's fatigue.

"Tell you what, why don't you get cleaned up, we'll get Sally to take a look at that arm again, then we'll have a slap up breakfast, what do you say?"

Fumio nodded.

"Ok." was the subdued, somewhat unenthusiastic reply.

Wufei nodded and was about stand up when Fumio suddenly reached over and gripped his forearm.

"Wufei san?" he asked quietly.

"What is it?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure you can," he replied.

"I know this sounds a bit silly, but," he was hesitant and slow in his question, "Please, don't… don't let me be on my own today?"

The monk's words caused Wufei's heart to sadden once more, at the same time causing confusion.

"How can this be?" he asked himself silently, "How can the kid have the confidence to lead a deadly samurai ritual on one day, and then become afraid of being left on his own the next?"

He thought about it for a moment.

"Life can be pretty cruel sometimes," he concluded.

Wufei found himself reaching a hand back onto Fumio's shoulder again in an effort to quell the dreadful sense of isolation he now perceived.

"Of course I'll do that for you," he replied gently, "and no Fumio, it's not silly, not silly at all."

Within ten minutes, Wufei was sat in Fumio's room looking out of the window across the mansion grounds, waiting while the young monk took a shower and cleaned himself up in the En-suite bathroom. He seemed to be recovering quickly from his earlier state of frustration and anger. He even called out a humorous comment to Wufei about what it was like trying to take a shower with his injured arm sticking out of the shower cubicle.

A short time later, they made their way back along the east wing corridor heading back to the kitchen where rest of the group were. Fumio had decided to keep on wearing the jogging bottoms and towelling socks he had been given, he rather liked them, but had to exchange the sweaty fleece top for a clean, plain white T-shirt. They chatted as they walked.

"I didn't think monks got angry like that?" commented Wufei, his voice cautiously humorous.

Fumio looked up at him sheepishly, he grinned.

"Well, sometimes they do, but not very often."

"You think it helped?"

Fumio nodded, "I think so."

Wufei looked at him,

"Well next time, you just let me know and I'll come and hold the punch bag for you ok?" he grinned, "Then perhaps you won't end up falling on your butt again!"

"You saw that?!" gasped Fumio now looking a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I won't tell," grinned Wufei back, "But you should have seen the look your face, it was priceless!" he chuckled, "priceless!"

Chapter Fifteen

The two young Samurai's reached the kitchen. Everyone was there, and had either finished, or was just finishing up breakfast. Duo, Heero, Noin and Hilde were sat at the large table, while the others were perched up against the work surfaces in various places surrounding the table area. Everyone was chatting and drinking tea.

"Err, you think we could borrow you for a moment Sally?" asked Wufei.

Sally looked up. Wufei pointed to Fumio's bloodied arm.

"Oh dear," she said in her completely unflustered 'I see this kind of thing everyday' voice.

She casually put her coffee down and walked over to meet them.

"Looks like you could use a new dressing on that," she suggested, placing a hand gently on the back of Fumio's neck and ushering him towards the far end of the kitchen where she had left her medic's kit from the night before.

Meanwhile, Wufei sat down at the table next to Heero where Quatre had set two places, one for him and one for Fumio to eat their breakfast. He began pouring a bowl of cereal as he joined in the conversation.

A few minutes later Fumio came bouncing back down the kitchen with clean fresh bandaging on his arm, looking much happier.

"You hungry Fumio?" asked Quatre, pulling out the chair between Duo and Wufei for him. Fumio nodded eagerly and sat down, and for the next half an hour or-so the group casually stood or sat around chatting, drinking tea and coffee, while Wufei and Fumio tucked into breakfast.

After four rounds of toast, two bowls of cereal, three croissants and two mugs of tea, Fumio reached across to the fruit bowl and selected a fresh, crispy apple. Duo had been staring silently at the boy for the past few minutes, his face carved with a slightly mind-boggled expression. Quatre noticed him as he leaned in to top up Duo's tea.

"What's up Duo?" he asked.

Duo's stare remained fixed on Fumio.

"The kid eats more than I do!" he gasped in an astonished, but light-hearted voice, a slight grin appearing on his face, "I can't believe how much he's just put away!"

Fumio Looked up. He hadn't noticed Duo's staring, as he had been too busy tucking into his food. Saying nothing, he just gave Duo a cheesy grin, exposing a missing tooth.

Duo grinned back at him.

"I don't get it! How on earth can you eat so much?" he teased, "I mean, where are you putting it all?"

"Err, Actually Duo," Wufei cleared his throat, "It involves a very special kind of training."

Duo looked at him, "Really?" he sounded surprised.

Wufei Nodded, "Yes, it takes many years of practice and dedication; it is called Legroom-chi. It allows the monks to store extra food inside their legs for energy," he informed, his face dead pan.

"Woe! That's amazing!" replied Duo in a slight, respectful awe.

Suddenly Sally gave a snigger, followed by quiet titters from around the room. Slowly the sides of Wufei's mouth began to turn upwards as he fought hard to control the laughter that was building inside of him.

Duo paused for a moment,

"But… Hey! Wait a minute!"

Suddenly the whole room burst out into a loud wave of laughter as it dawned on Duo that he'd been duped.

He leaned forward, pressing his head on the table, groaning, trying to cover it with his arms. "Ohhhhh! I can't believe I walked straight into that!" he cussed at himself, wishing hard for the ground to swallow him up to escape the humiliation, "Dohhh!"

The laughter continued for a while until a red-faced Duo eventually sat back up in his chair, still cussing at himself for being so easy to fleece. Hilde, still grinning, stood behind his chair and reached her arms affectionately around his shoulders giving him a hug.

"Oh don't worry Duo, we still love you," she spoke humorously in his ear, giving him a peck on the cheek, trying in her own unique way to help quell his sense of embarrassment.

The girls had decided to leave quite early on in the day for town, to get the most out of their planned 'girl's' day out. Once they were ready to leave, the guys had gathered at the main entrance to see them off, wishing them a good day.

Once back inside the house, Quatre closed the main front door and turned around to face the rest of the group. He grinned mischievously.

"Right then Guys!" he said, rubbing his hands together.

The others looked oddly at each other before turning back to face him.

"What are you planning Quatre?" asked Trowa in a slightly hesitant, suspicious voice.

"Well, if the girls are going to have a 'Girls' day out, then I guess it's only fair that we should have a 'Guys' day out, what do you think?"

There was a general nodding, as the comments came back,

"Sure."

"Ok."

"Yeah, why not."

"So what have you got in mind Cat?" piped up Wufei.

Again, a beaming grin appeared on Quatre's face,

"There's a beach not far from here, with some great sand dunes, what do you say we go and check it out?"

"Sounds like fun," replied Duo, "I'm in."

"Yup me too," nodded Wufei and Trowa simultaneously.

"Were going to the beach?" gasped Fumio excitedly, "That's great!" his face lit up like that of a little kid on Christmas morning.

"Hey relax kid! It's just a lousy beach," replied Duo, "It's not like were going to Disneyland or anything!"

Fumio grinned, "I know," he nodded, "It's just, I haven't been to a beach since I was really small.

Duo suddenly looked a little confounded, "Well that's not right!" he protested. "All kids should get to see the sea at least once a year, at least that's what Father Maxwell always taught me. Why do you think beaches exist? So kids can play on them of course! They were made for each other!"

Duo looked up at Heero, "The damn foundation again, right?" he asked, suddenly looking vexed.

Heero shook his head, "Don't even go there Duo," he replied, trying to prevent Duo from blowing up about the foundation again.

"Well!" interrupted Quatre in a cheery voice, defusing the potential situation before it had a chance to get going, "Why don't we get changed into something appropriate and meet outside in, say, ten minutes?"

Everyone agreed and disappeared off to their rooms to organise some beachwear.

Ten minutes later, Heero, Trowa and Wufei were stood waiting at the bottom of the stone steps leading up to the main front entrance. They were all wearing shorts and shades, looking cool and ready for the beach. The main door opened and out stepped Duo wearing the most hideously bright Hawaiian-style surfing shorts and T-shirt imaginable. The others grinned as he made his way down the steps.

"Hey Guys!" he grinned, peering over the top of his small sunglasses, "We ready to hit the beach or what?" he chirped.

"Now that!" beamed Wufei, "Is definitely you!" he said pointing to Duo's day-glow shorts.

Duo grinned again,

"You like em? They're the latest fashion you know! The ladies go crazy for them, at least, that's what the guy in the shop told me."

Suddenly Trowa and Heero laughed out loud,

"Duo! What the heck are you wearing?" barked Heero dryly, "You look ridiculous!"

Duo looked at him, still grinning,

"Hmm, I guess you haven't spent much time on any beaches lately either Heero," he suggested. He grabbed his shorts by the sides stretching them outward, "Everyone's wearing them! apparently."

"Hmm, think I'll pass on that," replied Heero, still grinning.

"Me too," added Trowa.

"Has anyone seen the kid?" asked Trowa, changing the subject.

"Oh, Fumio's still getting changed", replied Duo, "I had to lend him some shorts as he doesn't have any of his own."

Heero suddenly looked at Duo,

"Damn! I hope they're not like those," he said pointing to Duo's shorts.

Duo paused for a moment. Then grinned again, "Naa! Don't worry Heero, They're from my… more sober collection."

As he finished speaking, the main door opened again and out stepped Fumio.

The others couldn't help but raise a grin as they saw Heero's younger brother coming down the steps towards them wearing the shorts that Duo had loaned him.

They were huge, baggy surfing shorts, this time in a slightly soberer bright yellow colour, but were at least five sizes too big. They were obviously designed to reach to just above the wearer's knees, but on Fumio, they covered halfway down his lower legs, almost reaching to the plain white canvass sneakers on his feet. They were gathered up at the waist by his belt making them look like a tied sack of potatoes.

Fumio grinned,

"I think they're a bit big," he commented to Duo.

"Are you kidding!" replied Duo, reaching a hand onto his shoulder, "They look great on you! Now you're a proper surfing dude! What do you think guys?"

There were suppressed chortles before a general admission that that despite being totally the wrong size, they could have looked a lot worse than they actually did. Wufei, Heero and Trowa all just gave a grinning thumbs-up, restraining from further comment.

"So where's Cat then?" asked Duo looking at his watch, "He said ten minutes and it's been, like, fifteen. It's not like him to be late for anything."

"I saw him heading for the kitchen a few minutes before I came out," suggested Wufei.

Suddenly, they heard a very large sounding engine start up.

"Hey! That, that sounds like a military transporter," suggested Trowa.

All eyes looked right to where the gravel drive swept around behind the main house, to the garage and stabling areas.

Suddenly, from behind the building drove an enormous, black, 4X4 recreational vehicle.

It was open roofed with a row of huge spotlights running across the roll cage that sat over the top of the dark-tinted windscreen and passenger area. It had huge quadruple rectangular headlights and a shiny chrome grill and bumpers. The sun sparkled off the deep glossy black coachwork and mirrored chrome trim.

"WOOOOW!" cooed Duo excitedly, "Check out that 4x4!"

The others just watched, speechless, in awe, as the monster Rig trundled around the corner and pulled up, stopping in front of them. The thunderous engine was silenced and the driver's door opened.

"Hey Guys!" came Quatre's voice as he jumped down from the cab and wandered to the front of the vehicle, his head only just came level with the headlights and chrome grill.

"Whoa! Quatre!" chirped Duo excitedly, "Now THAT!! is one sexy piece of machinery!"

Duo stepped up to the wing and tenderly ran his hand over the coachwork. He looked up at Quatre.

"You old scoundrel Cat!" he jibed, his voice still showing a hint of shock, "And to think, I had you down as just a Volkswagen kind-of guy!"

Quatre grinned.

The others were still stood in silence; open mouthed, awe-struck by this massive chunk of shiny metal and chrome sat before them.

"So what's the deal Cat?" asked Duo, still running his hands over it, "Where'd this little beauty come from?"

"It was a gift, from one of the companies we purchase our mining equipment from," he replied, "It's a little sideline business they've got going."

Fumio stepped up to one of the huge chunky tyres. His eyes came level with the top of the giant wheel rim, he raised his arm up and realised that he could not actually reach the top of the tyre. A beaming grin appeared on his face.

"Are we going to the beach in this?" he directed his question to Quatre.

Quatre smiled back at him, nodding, "Unless you want to walk?"

Fumio shook his head, still grinning, "No, I think I'd like to give this a try today!" he replied pointing to the truck.

Within a few minutes they had left the mansion and were heading down the leafy country lane out towards the coast. Quatre was driving, taking it easy. The thumping engine purred with ease as they trundled along, eventually breaking into open road and brilliant sunshine.

Heero was in the front passenger seat, whilst the three other pilots and mini-monk sat on the rear seat.

Duo was in his element. He stood up, holding on to the roll bar. In his elevated position, the wind violently tousled his face and hair as he leaned forward, throwing both fists into the air grinning.

"WWOOOHHHOOOO!!" he yelled excitedly. Quatre glanced up and smiled. He figured it wouldn't be long before someone would be stood up.

"Come on! This is great!" he shouted down to the others, trying to make his voice heard through the wind rushing past his ears. Fumio was the first to jump up, grinning as the wind suddenly hit him in the face.

"That's it kid! Hold on tight," commented Duo, patting a hand on his shoulder.

Trowa was next to stand, and eventually, yielding to the pressure of the other three beckoning to him, Wufei finally stood up and experienced the rush of air in his face.

It was too much to bare for more than a few minutes, so they all sat back down for the rest of the journey, but as the ocean came into view some twenty minutes later, they were all back on their feet again.

"Nearly there guys!" remarked Quatre, as the vehicle began to slow down, "There's a gate a little way along here somewhere, ah! There it is."

He brought the giant truck to a halt on the deserted road, just opposite a large, rusty old gate leading on to some open sand dunes and eventually to the beach.

"Any volunteers for the gate?" asked Quatre.

"I'll go", replied Trowa, suddenly leaping from his seat, spinning in mid air and landing on his feet at the roadside.

Fumio was singularly impressed. It was the first time he had seen Trowa's abilities in action.

A few minutes later, they were slowly negotiating their way across very hilly mounds of sand towards the beach. Quatre had to use the four-wheel drive system, and it was only the huge chunky tyres that prevented them from sinking into the soft bone-dry sand.

They reached a clearing and had one final track to negotiate before the beach.

A short, dry dirt road with two wide tyre tracks that cut their way across what looked like a green, marshland. There was a lot of undergrowth that had crept out across the road from where it hadn't been used for a long time.

Quatre positioned the vehicle onto the road and was about to drive forward when Fumio jumped up "Hold on a minute!" he urged.

Quatre stopped the vehicle, but before he could ask what was up, Fumio had leaped from the cab and ran to the front, disappearing below the bonnet line. The others looked at each other oddly.

"What's he doing?" asked Quatre.

A few moments later Fumio's small figure appeared a little further ahead on the track. He seemed to be looking for something in the undergrowth on the road. Then he turned round and signalled for Quatre to drive forward a few meters before signalling him to stop again. He continued his searching.

"Oh! yup! I think I know what he's up to," confirmed Heero.

The others looked at him, expecting an answer.

"Well, think about it," urged Heero, turning in to face the others, "He's a Buddhist monk."

"Oh! yes of course!" sighed Quatre, leaning forward over the steering wheel, "I understand now."

Even Wufei had sussed it out but Trowa and Duo just looked blankly at each other.

"Oh! Come on guys!" protested Wufei, "Please tell me you're not that dim?"

The blank looks remained.

"Think! What's one of the most basic rules of being a monk?" urged Wufei.

"Err, I don't know!" replied Duo, "Maybe, Umm... no girls in your room after midnight?"

A rapturous laughter suddenly filled the cab.

"Get real Duo!" replied Wufei, grinning slightly.

"What!" protested Duo, "I'm serious! Ok well, maybe not that serious, but I still don't get what he's doing."

"Come on Duo!" urged Wufei again, now determined to make him understand, "Be serious. What's one of the most fundamental rules that Fumio has to follow?" he reiterated his question again. The laughter had died down again as everyone listened in. Trowa, by now, had also got the point. Only Duo seemed to remain clueless.

"Ok, I'm serious," said Duo trying to think hard, "Fundamental rules… Fundamental rules… Hmmm… no swearing maybe? No smoking dope? certainly no mugging people?"

Wufei rolled is eyes back in despair.

Ok! Ok! I'm just pulling your leg Wufei!" Replied Duo, "Don't have a baby! I guess what you want me to say is, no killing? right?"

"Finally!" gasped Wufei, looking to the sky, palms uppermost as if thanking the stars, "There may be some hope for this oaf yet!"

"You're right Duo," added Quatre, suddenly going off on one of his 'factual tangents'.

"The monks believe that all sentient life is precious and have vowed never to knowingly kill. I guess he's concerned that we may run something over in this undergrowth"

Duo nodded, understanding.

"The kid's got a lot of dedication," he remarked quietly, "I respect that."

They watched, waiting patiently as Fumio continued to check the ground until suddenly he span around grinning from ear to ear. He held up what looked like a small turtle that he had just discovered next to a rock.

"There, you see!" gestured Quatre with his hand, "We would almost certainly have run it over, and known nothing about it."

Heero gestured the thumbs up through the windscreen, and Fumio moved to the far edge of the road, releasing the creature out of harms way.

They continued to inch their way along the road until they reached the pure open sands of the huge, completely deserted beach. Fumio climbed aboard again and they drove out to find a good spot on the beach.

"Darn! There are no women here!" remarked Duo, sounding disappointed.

"Well I guess that's just as well, considering what you're wearing!" replied Trowa.

"Yes, you've got a one track mind Duo!" added Wufei.

Soon they found a good spot and parked the vehicle side-on to the shore some thirty-or-so paces away. As everyone disembarked, Quatre opened the rear door and slid out a large, white, retractable canopy with legs. It was designed to clip onto the side of the vehicle forming a huge shaded area where they could sit without getting burned by the sun's intense heat. As he and Heero set up the canopy, the others quickly discarded their shoes and all raced towards the sea, laughing and yelling as they ran.

Quatre Grinned.

"It doesn't seem to matter how old you are," he spoke to Heero, "The beach always seems to bring out the kid in everyone."

Heero looked at him, not completely understanding his comments.

"Doesn't affect me like that," he replied quietly, disagreeing, as he secured the last guy-rope to the canopy

Quatre didn't know what to say, but knew he had to do something to prove Heero wrong.

"Oh yeah?" grinned Quatre mischievously, suddenly kicking off his sneakers.

Heero looked at him oddly.

"Come on! I'll race you," he grinned, intending to head for the sea.

Heero just looked at him.

"I told you, the beach doesn't effect me like that."

"Wanna bet?" smirked Quatre. He began kicking sand at Heero's lower legs.

"Hey quit it!" protested Heero.

"Make me!" grinned Quatre, flicking more sand at him.

"Hey! Cat! Come on, you're getting sand in my shoes!" protested Heero once more.

By now Quatre was running in circles around him constantly kicking sand at his legs, grinning like a little kid.

"Cat! Come on, Give me a break! Quit already!!" replied Heero, he could see what Quatre was trying to do.

"Make me!"

"Just quit!"

"Nope!"

"Just behave!!"

"Uh-uh!" Quatre shook his head defiantly.

Heero looked at him and sighed,

"Thanks a lot! Now I've got shoes full of sand!"

Heero bent down to untie his laces and instantly Quatre lunged forward, kicking him on the butt. Heero went flying forward and came to a halt face down in the sand.

Quatre began running off towards the sea, laughing his head off.

Heero paused for a moment, slightly stunned. He wasn't expecting that. He tried to look serious, but he couldn't. As he observed Quatre running off towards the others, slowly, surely, a huge grin appeared on his face.

"Right! That's it!" he laughed out loud, finally kicking off his shoes and racing after him.

For the next ten or so minutes the whole group had a great laugh splashing and clowning around in the shallow water. Heero had tried several times to get his own back on Quatre by dunking him in the water, but each time Quatre had managed to evade his attempts by darting out of the way, only suffering slight soakings form the splashes it caused.

Eventually the group decided to have a game of volleyball. Quatre had brought a net and poles with them, so most of the group headed back towards the truck to get it set up.

Heero was the last one out of the water, as they headed back he tugged at Wufei's sleeve urging him to hold back for a moment so they could talk.

"What's on your mind Heero?"

"I… I just wanted to say thanks, you know, for what you did last night."

Wufei thought back to the event.

"You know, I still don't understand exactly how I did it, how I found him. Maybe it was just luck."

"Or fate perhaps?" added Heero, "Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm just grateful you were there. I guess I just wanted you to know, that's all."

Wufei remained quiet but nodded in appreciation to Heero's very rare and out-of-character gesture.

"Come on Wufei san." Heero placed a hand on Wufei's shoulder and ushered him towards the rest of the group, "The others are waiting for us."

For over two hours they played a fairly intense game of Volleyball, but as the midday sun approached, the sand was becoming baked and very hot. The boys began to feel it burning on the soles of their feet, so they decided to wait it out for a while under the shade of the canopy attached to Quatre's truck.

Quatre pulled out a cool-box of drinks and food, and placed it on the ground, and for a while they all sat in a circle around the box, just chatting, eating and drinking, and generally enjoying each other's friendship.

A little later on, when they'd finished eating, Duo decided he wanted to go for another paddle. As he wandered off down back the beach towards the sea, the others spread themselves out under the canopy on the beach towels and mats that Quatre had also supplied. The canopy was huge, and there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out.

It seemed everyone wanted their own space for a while to rest and relax

Eventually Duo returned from his refreshing paddle. He stood just inside the canopy and looked around at the inactive, motionless bodies.

"Wow! You guys really know how to party!" he joked, "Go wild man!"

He waited for at least one response but none came.

"Are you guys just going to sit and lie there all day? C'mon it's a beautiful day, why don't we play some more Volleyball?"

Again, there was no reply.

He threw his hands up in submission,

"I might as well be talking to myself!" he mumbled, quietly protesting to himself.

He walked back on to the beach and slumped down a few paces away on the hot sand, facing out to sea.

"Yup, might as well be talking to myself!" he began rambling on endlessly to himself, half in protest, and half in boredom, "But that's no surprise with some of these guys! I mean they were just like it during the war, and they're just like it now. I mean, what on earth made me think that they would change simply because the war is over, I mean once they…"

Duo stopped as he Suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Fumio standing next to him.

"Oh Hey kid," he said, "Sorry about my rambling on here, I err, I tend to ramble on a lot when I'm bored, so you shouldn't take any notice," he grinned.

Still smiling, Fumio sat cross-legged on the sand at Duo's side, facing him.

"You find it hard to be still don't you Duo?" he asked gently. Fumio's voice was quiet, relaxed, unflustered. He was radiating that now familiar sense of calm and serenity that he seemed to do whenever he was in his 'quiet' mode.

Duo nodded, sighing, "I guess I'm just not cut out to be like you guys," he replied, his voice sounding a little disappointed. "I've always got way too much energy," a slight grin appeared on his face.

"The day I'm still, will be the day I die!" he chuckled quietly to himself.

Fumio smiled and looked out to sea, then back to Duo again.

"So, what else did Father Maxwell teach you about the beach when you were a kid?"

"Hmm, let's see." replied Duo, scanning his eyes around at their surroundings for a moment.

"You ever been rock-pooling Fumio?"

Fumio cocked his head to one side,

"Rock-pooling? No, what's that?" he asked.

Duo grinned and stood up,

"C'mon, I'll show you," he replied, heading off towards the large rocky area a few hundred paces further along the beach.

Minutes later they were paddling across one of many rocky pools left by the retreating tide.

"When the tide goes out, sometimes creatures get trapped in these pools. They have to wait until the tide comes in again to get back to the sea." Duo explained.

Suddenly he stopped and reached his hand down into the water,

"Here ya go, just like this little fellow."

He showed Fumio what he'd found by placing it in his hand.

"Oh wow!" cooed the boy, "It's a starfish! I've seen them in books, but I've never seen a real one before."

Duo looked surprised, and slightly disappointed. "You know, I've gotta say kid, it saddens me knowing that you never got to the sea more often. Some of my best childhood memories were at the beach."

He scanned his eyes out towards the small waves lapping at the sandy shore.

"Yup, we'd all go to the sea at least once a year, sometimes just for a week, sometimes for a fortnight. It was a treat we'd look forward to for the whole year."

Fumio placed the starfish safely back in the water and waded the few steps to the edge of the pool, sitting down on one of the rocks. He looked a Duo with a serious expression, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"Duo? what was Father Maxwell like?" he asked tentatively, unsure if asking Duo about his past would be ok.

Duo stared back expressionlessly at the boy for a moment, before sighing.

"Well, Father Maxwell was a great man," he replied, "He founded and ran the Maxwell orphanage that I grew up in when I was kid."

Fumio suddenly looked surprised,

"You mean, you, you're an orphan too? Like Heero and me?"

Duo wandered over and gestured for him to shuffle over so he could sit next to him on the rock,

"Yup. I guess we have more in common than you realised eh kid?" he replied as he sat down.

Fumio nodded, "I didn't know."

Duo looked out to sea again and sighed again,

"Thanks to Father Maxwell, I was able to have a decent childhood. I guess he was the closest thing I ever had to a father. He was always there for me, for all of us."

Duo reminisced further into his memories.

"Sure, he had to be strict sometimes, had to put me in my place from time to time, but you've gotta realize I was a right tearaway when I was younger. Real cocky!" he grinned for a moment, "But, he was always there to pick me up when I was having a bad day or I was feeling down, he would never let me fall."

Fumio listened quietly,

"He sounds like he was a good man," he whispered.

Duo nodded, "Yes he was, and… and if it wasn't for OZ, I guess he'd probably still be alive today."

Suddenly Duo's voice began to sound a little agitated.

Fumio reached a hand across onto his forearm,

"It's alright, you don't have to say it. Heero already told me that Oz had wiped out your entire family and home, but he never said it was an orphanage. Is… is that why you have the name Maxwell, and became a Gundam pilot?" enquired Fumio further, now a little more confident that Duo was ok talking about his past.

Duo looked him in the eye and seemed to settle again, "Yeah on both counts." he whispered, nodding subtly, his voice sounding a little croaky for a moment.

"I took the name Maxwell, so I would never forget my family or past, and I became a Gundam Pilot because, after what they did, well... By then I was ready and willing to wipe out Oz, single-handed if I had to."

He paused, sighing again, "I know they say revenge is not the answer, but I guess the people who say it have never had to live through something like that."

Fumio nodded, understanding what the American boy was trying to say. He peeled his view down to the rock pool, hesitating for a moment, realising that his next question might be a bit contentious. He looked Duo in the eye again.

"Duo, now that Oz is destroyed. Do... do you feel you have fulfilled your need to seek revenge for those you lost?"

Duo looked down, he was reluctant to answer. He took a deep breath and sighed, then looked at Fumio forming a reluctant smile.

"Kid, You're twelve years old! Shouldn't you be talking about computer games or music or girls or something, not deep stuff like this?"

Fumio suddenly looked regretful for asking.

"Oh, I'm sorry Duo san, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. It's all right, you don't have to answer."

Duo pondered the boys' regretful expression for a moment, and then formed another smile.

"Naa, it's alright. Don't worry," replied Duo quietly, "I don't mind answering, besides, it was a long time ago. Time is a good healer."

He sighed again, thinking hard about his response,

"The truth is Fumio… Sometimes when you think that doing something will make you feel better, or will right a wrong, you can become so embroiled in it, that you loose sight of everything else. Sometimes you don't even realise that you are doing more harm than good, until it's too late."

Fumio looked at him, scrutinising Duo's expression, trying hard to grasp the point of what he was saying. Duo sighed again, then reached his arm gently across Fumio's shoulders.

"Fumio, if you remember nothing else from this holiday, I want you to remember, no… I want you to _promise_ me one thing,"

Fumio remained looking attentively at the American pilot. He nodded subtly.

"Fumio, I want you to promise me that you will never, and I mean never, not for one single moment, ever turn away from those no kill beliefs of yours. Especially when it comes to Human life, no matter what the circumstances are, even... even if you choose not to be a monk anymore."

Fumio continued to look at Duo's now slightly saddened eyes.

"Will you do that for me? Eh kid?"

Slowly, Fumio began to nod,

"Yes Duo. I will do that for you. I promise." he whispered; now finally understanding the very source of Duos inner pain.

Duo nodded,

"Good," he whispered, "It's the best decision you could ever make."

Another sigh and deep breath, and Duo's seriousness was quietly buried under his familiar cheery mask once again.

"C'mon," he suddenly chirped, "We might as well take advantage of being here. You wanna do some more rock-pooling before we go back?"

A smile appeared on Fumio's face as he agreed and shuffled off the rock, stepping back into the water.

The journey home from the beach was a much quieter one than the journey there. After another three hours of volleyball and other intensely energetic activities in the fresh air, the whole group was exhausted.

As the huge vehicle trundled back towards home along the quiet road, even Duo was feeling sleepy, periodically drifting in and out of consciousness. In his waking moments, he spent much of his time reflecting on his earlier conversation with Fumio. It was the first time he had reflected on his past in a long time, and he was feeling strangely moved by the opportunity to share the memories with someone who seemed to take a genuine interest.

Fumio was sat next to him, quietly watching the passing landscape.

Duo gave him a gentle nudge. Fumio looked up.

"You ok kid?"

Fumio nodded, "Just tired," he replied appreciatively.

By the time they pulled onto the mansion drive, many of the group were almost asleep. They tiredly disembarked and found their way up the stone steps to the house, eventually slumping themselves onto the sofa's in the lounge.

It was obvious that the girls were not back yet, but they would probably be arriving within the next hour or so. There were plans in the pipeline for the entire group to hit the town that evening, but for the boys, there was some serious energy recovering to be done if that was still to be the case.

Turn to Part 4 (final)...


	4. part 4 final

One Small Step

Part Four ( Chapters 16-22 final )

Chapter Sixteen

Less than an hour after the boys returned home, the girls arrived back from their day out, carrying a lot of shopping. In an attempt to establish if the others were home, Noin opened the door to the lounge, only to be greeted by six, unconscious, snoring bodies!

A huge grin appeared on her face as she span round to call the others over.

"Hey! You have _got_! to see this!" she urged in a whispered voice to Sally and Hilde who were stood in the hallway behind her. All three girls peered through the door.

The boys were still in their beach clothes. Duo and Trowa were slouched symmetrically on one of the sofas; both had their arms folded and their heads tipped right back against the backrest, mouths agape. Wufei was stretched flat out on his back, across the second sofa, periodically snoring. Heero and Quatre were slouched at either end of the third couch. Fumio was slumped between them and was resting against his brother. All were completely unconscious.

"Ohhh! That is sooooo cute!!" gasped Hilde in a whisper. All three of them giggled like schoolgirls, albeit quietly.

"I wonder what they got up to today to make them all so tired?" asked Sally as she quietly closed the door, allowing them to sleep on undisturbed. She was greeted by blank looks.

After going to their rooms to find suitable homes for their shopping, the girls returned back downstairs and met up in the kitchen.

There they sat for the next hour or so engaged in conversation and drinking tea, finding it a good opportunity to continue catching up on old times.

Eventually, Quatre walked in yawning tiredly. His hair was tousled and sticking up. "Oh, hello girls," he yawned again, "How long have you been back?"

Over the next hour or so, one by one the Gundam boys emerged from their slumberous state and wandered into the kitchen, drawn there by the sound of talking. A lot of time was spent chatting as the boys exchanged details with the girls over the events of the day. Eventually, they decided to go ahead with their plans to hit the town; a meal in a restaurant followed by a late night in one of the clubs that the town had to offer.

They arrived in town at around seven. The guys were feeling much more refreshed than a few hours earlier. Quatre was driving again, in his now, hard-roofed monster 4x4. He had also unfolded two extra rows of rear passenger seats creating ample room for everyone. It had caused quite a commotion back at the mansion when he first pulled up outside. Noin was particularly taken with it and kept badgering him to let her take it for a spin, which he agreed to.

Everyone found it especially hilarious when Hilde tried to climb aboard in high heels and a skirt that was a little too restrictive around the knees. She virtually had to be hoisted up into the cab by Sally already inside, and Heero outside on the ground pushing. It was hardly a graceful event, and Sally was laughing so much, at one point she almost dropped the poor girl. They both eventually wound up slumped in a heap inside the cab, arm and legs in the air, laughing hysterically.

Everyone had dressed smartly for the occasion. The boys were mainly in trousers and neatly ironed shirts. The Girls had all brought new evening wear on their day trip, which in reality amounted to little more than eight hours of retail therapy.

Their first port of call was a European restaurant that Quatre had highly recommended. The car park was a few minutes walk from the town centre. After locking the truck, the group began to meander its way towards the lights and bustle of the high street. On exiting the car park, there was a slightly tense moment when they passed a large gang of rather unsavoury looking characters just hanging around at the entrance, but nothing more than a few glances were exchanged.

The main high street was noisy, full of life and activity. It was cheerfully illuminated by all of the restaurants, and late-night speciality shops that lined both sides of the main street. Everywhere were groups of people, some small, some larger, some sober, some a little tipsy, and a few downright drunk. All were out to simply enjoy themselves and have a good time.

Eventually they reached the Restaurant; the rather oddly named 'Helga's European House of Bread'.

"Ah! Master Quatre!" greeted the enormous, busty, and very German looking woman at the door podium.

"It eese so vezy gooode to see you again!" she said in a thick German accent, giving Quatre an excited, beaming smile.

"Hello Helga," replied Quatre, returning the smile, "It's very nice to see you again too,"

"I am zo happy to zee my most favourite customer return to us!" she continued with her compliments.

Quatre smiled again.

"Ahh! I zee you ave brought some friends wiz you today!" she said excitedly scanning her eyes over the Gundam gang stood around him.

Quatre nodded.

"Would it be too much trouble to arrange a table for nine?" he asked humbly.

Helga looked up at Sally and Noin who were stood directly beside him.

"Ohh! eee asks wiz such a kind voice!" said Helga in a flattered gesture, pressing her hands to her chest,

"Now you know why ee is my most favourite cuztomer!" she commented humourously.

The girls grinned, nodding, agreeing with her.

"But of course! Nothing eez too much trouble for you Master Quatre!" she replied equally as humbly. "Just let me arrange it for you now."

She turned around,

"SVEN?!!!" She bellowed out to her husband-assistant in the loudest, harshest, most grating voice anyone had ever heard.

"SVEN!!!!" she screeched again, "TABLE FOR NINE!!!"

As she yelled, the whole group leaned back as if being hit by a blastwave. They could almost feel the sound from her voice knocking the wind out of them. Customers already in the restaurant seemed to wince and cringe as they felt the assault on their eardrums. Any dogs in the street whimpered and ran for their lives. Startled birds took flight, grown men cowered, wine glasses teetered on the verge of shattering, and all across the restaurant the small, frail chandeliers over each table seemed to tremble with fright.

A few moments later, Sven, Helga's husband hurried through from a corridor at the back of the restaurant. A fairly short, very weedy looking middle-aged man wearing a white chef's apron and thick rimmed round glasses.

"Ready my flower!" he confirmed standing beside her loyally, smiling.

She dwarfed him by at least twelve inches.

"Oh Sven! Vot voould I ever do vizout you my sweetest bunnykins?" she said in a much quieter voice, hugging him to her enormous bosom and planting an affectionate kiss on the top of his balding head.

Moments later they were being led to their table.

"Are they for real?" whispered Duo to Quatre, a huge grin on his face, the others heard Duo's question, listening in for an answer. Quatre grinned and nodded.

"Yes. They may be the original odd-couple," he replied in a whispered voice, "but Helga bakes the best brioche loaf on the face of the planet. Trust me, the food here is out of this world!"

Helga stopped at the head of the table, allowing everyone to pass her and find a seat. Suddenly she spotted Fumio for the first time. He had been hiding at the back of the group, and had thus far managed to avoid detection.

"Ohh!" she squealed excitedly, bringing her hands to her chest again,

"Master Quatre! You deed not tell me you ad such an adorable and andsome young man in your group!" she jokingly protested.

"Hello," came the quiet, somewhat intimidated voice from the boy as the huge woman peered down at him.

"Oh! Such an andsome young chappy!" she smiled, reaching down and roughly pinching his cheek between her finger and thumb,

"Eee must be a charmer wiz zee ladies, no?!"

Sally sniggered quietly as she heard the comment, followed by titters from the others as they continued to sit down. Everyone watched with amusement.

Helga grinned some more, "I bet you must be aving zee girls queuing at zee door!" she joked, "right down zee street!"

Fumio smiled back, but began to look very embarrassed. He started to go red. He glanced to the rest of the group, hoping for some help.

"Err, actually Helga," commented Quatre, still grinning, but moving to save Fumio's blushes, "He's, Err, how can I put this gently… He's actually, a Buddhist monk!"

Suddenly Helga's cheeky grin dropped, she looked almost shocked.

"Ohh! No! me and my big mouse!" she gasped, bringing her fingers to her mouth in an undeniable 'oops' gesture.

"I ad no idea! Oh! I ave insulted and embarrassed zee young man! Ohh! I am so zorry!" she brought her hands down and gently touched her fingertips on his cheeks.

Seeing her so embarrassed, Fumio suddenly felt sorry for Helga. He gave her his best smile. He reached up and took her hands, squeezing them gently.

"No, It's alright" he assured her, "you were just being friendly, please don't feel bad."

An hour and a half later, after eating, quite possibly, one of the best meals they had ever had, the group departed the restaurant and headed the short way along the high street to the nightclub that Quatre had also recommended.

The Meal was a wonderful experience, especially as Helga had insisted on making one of her special loaves especially for Fumio as recompense for her earlier comments, on the house of course. He loved it and even ended up asking her for the recipe, which, she divulged to him, but only after getting him to swear an oath of secrecy.

As they walked along the high street towards the nightclub, at least a dozen separate individuals called Quatre's name in friendly greetings and waved as they passed along the street.

"Is there anyone in this town you don't know?" asked Heero Ironically.

"Yeah Quatre", continued Duo, "what's going on? Those people are acting like you're famous or something!" he pointed a finger at him, "Wait a minute! Cat, did you become a rock star while we were away? Hmm?" he joked, "I can't believe you didn't tell us?"

Quatre quietly chortled.

"No, Duo, they're just business associates." He grinned, "I try to conduct as much business locally as I can, to help keep local people in jobs, that's all."

It was to be Fumio's first ever visit to a nightclub. He was excited, yet a little apprehensive at the same time. He knew it involved loud music and dancing, but that was about all he knew. Until now He had been used to the tranquillity and sanctuary of his home of nearly five years, the Sakuragoaka monastery. Even whilst Gundam training on the colony, he never got to experience such events.

As they neared the main entrance, the area was alive with energetic activity. The buzz of people coming and going, the noise of the beating music resonating through the walls and from the doors ahead in the tunnel-like entrance.

The entrance area itself was thickly carpeted and illuminated by a vast array of colourful neon type lights that flashed and pulsated. There was a noisy queue several people deep, waiting to be let in through the main doors. A lone woman occupied the small, but cheerfully illuminated booth at the far end. Stood at the main entrance doors were a number of bouncers - large men in dark suits looking out for the troublemakers, and frisking the occasional attendee for weapons or drugs. The group waited patiently in the queue. It seemed to be growing larger by the minute as noisy, and slightly drunken partygoers all seeking a good time, added to the numbers.

Once inside, the nightclub, Fumio's realised his fears were unfounded. It was a huge, airy building with high ceilings. It was dark, yet the spectacular light shows gave off enough light to see everything they needed to. The walkways were also illuminated with some rather clever under-floor lighting.

After finding a table, the whole group had a good time dancing and partying the evening away. Even Heero, after being badgered, pestered, bribed, and ultimately dared by the rest of the group, eventually got up for a dance, then found he couldn't sit back down again as he found it, much to his surprise, and annoyance, to be quite addictive and enjoyable.

Fumio had quickly attained celebrity status with a large group of women sat at the next table, who had made a big fuss over him and kept insisting he sat with them whenever they weren't dancing with him. The rest of the group found it highly amusing when the time eventually came to go home.

He wandered back to the table, grinning from ear to ear and blushing. His whole face was covered with lipstick marks from all the farewell kisses he had been given. Fortunately Noin had some appropriate wipes in her bag, and between Her, Sally and Hilde, were able to clean him up before they left.

It had been a superb evening.

What would have finished it off nicely would have been a relaxing drive home, and a round or two of milk toddies at the mansion to unwind with. But sadly, it was not to be.

The group meandered back along the street and into the now, almost deserted car park. They chatted and laughed as they walked, reminiscing on the great events of the evening. Suddenly, from behind, there was a loud yelp.

The rest of the group span around.

"Oh crap!" Came simultaneous whispered gasps from Trowa and Quatre.

Everyone watched with instant trepidation, as the large gang of thugs they had noticed earlier on, had gathered themselves around the group and across the entrance to the car park, their only way out or means of escape.

There were about a dozen of them. Most were leather clad, muscle-bound, and tattooed. Virtually all of them wielded some kind of weapon, be it bars, chains, knifes or baseball bats.

One particularly huge and rather mean looking character had a hold of Fumio and was holding him with both hands at arms length off the ground. Fumio was kicking his legs, gasping and struggling, trying to free himself.

"Hey!" Noin cried out as she attempted to run back and have a go at the young monk's captor. Heero calmly reached out his arm, stopping her,

"Wait Noin!" he urged as the rest of the Gundam group raised up in shouts of protest at the gang.

"Hey! What the Hell do you think you're doing!?" snarled Wufei in an instant aggressive posture, "Put him down! Right now!"

"You're hurting him!" yelled Sally angrily, "let him go! What are you doing?!"

"Yeah you morons!! He's just a kid!" protested Noin angrily, still more than ready to lunge forward and have a go, "How despicable can you get?"

As the protests continued, three of the gang members stepped forward. One of them, probably the leader, took another step forward. He was in his late teens, as were most of the gang. He wore tatty jeans and a dark brown leather jacket, a black fingerless glove on one hands, and a dark-red bandanna on his head. He had a three-inch scar across the right side of his face. The five Gundam pilots had taken a defensive stance in a line a few feet from the offending characters. The girls were stood behind them.

"That depends on you," spoke the man calmly, "We can be a lot more despicable if we need to be". He held a flick knife out for everyone to see, then with the push of a button flicked it open.

"Oh... Yeah! Like that's supposed to scare us?" snarled Duo, practically daring the man to take another step closer.

Heero glanced sideways,

"Duo! Shut up!" He urged quietly through grit teeth. He looked worried, and was trying to suss out the best way to deal with the situation.

Ordinarily, all of the pilots would have ran in and attacked as soon as they realised there was danger, but one of their party been captured which threw a completely different light onto the state of affairs. They all knew that hostage situations were much more delicate and tricky to deal with. Straight away they realised the enemy had the upper hand for the moment, and that they would have to proceed with caution.

The man began scraping the dirt from under his fingernails with the knife, as if he had all the time in the world. Fumio continued to struggle and kick as the posturing continued. More protests came from the girls;

"For crying out loud!!" screamed Hilde at the man, "What the hell's wrong with you people?! What do you want?"

The gang leader glanced sideways at the struggling boy. Then looked back to the group.

"Ain't nothin personal you understand", he replied in a dry, gritty, rather over-exaggerated voice, "The kid's just security for our, how shall we say? our upcoming business transaction."

A number of the gang laughed quietly at their leaders' comments. It was evident he hadn't used that particular narrative to describe a mugging before.

The five pilots remained silent, waiting for the right moment.

The leader, blissfully unaware of who he was dealing with, calmly took a final drag from his cigarette, and then flicked it across the car park.

"Hey, Genko!" he called to the large man holding the struggling monk, his stare remaining fixed on the group.

"Yes boss?" asked the man.

"When they've thrown over their wallets, their purses and any jewellery they might wish to donate, you can let the kid go. Until then, you're the official babysitter", he ordered.

"Right boss!" replied the huge man, turning his attention back to Fumio and grinning. He gave him a slight shake, toying with him, causing him to struggle and choke again.

The gang leaders' words were meant to double up as instructions to the Gundam group.

Wufei stepped sideways towards Heero.

"Time is short. I can take out the three at the front, but you'll have to take out the big guy holding your brother," he whispered, "The other three can sort out the rest."

Heero's stare remained on Fumio. They had been in eye contact for the last few seconds. Wufei noticed him subtly signalling something with his hands.

"Not yet!" urged Heero in a whispered voice still looking at his brother, "Just wait"

"But Heero!" Wufei tried to protest quietly.

"Trust me," insisted Heero, "Just wait for my signal."

Suddenly Fumio stopped struggling.

He closed his eyes and held tightly onto his captor's wrists as he remained hung in the air, supported only by the two huge hands clamped around him. He seemed to concentrate hard, as if summoning powers from within.

Moments later, the man began staggering forward. He let go of Fumio then instantly slumped to the ground unconscious. Several of the gang members looked on with confusion as Fumio made a bolt towards the Gundam group's position, as if fleeing for his life. Two of them immediately went after him. The first seized his arm. Fumio immediately span round and clamped his free hand tightly onto the man's forearm, a moment later the man slumped to the ground, just as Genko did.

The monk continued to run. The second gang member lunged forward grabbing him around the middle lifting him off the ground, but again, he suddenly began to stagger and sway about. He too dropped the boy, but Fumio stumbled over as he hit the ground. Before he had a chance to scramble to his feet, he glanced up to see the, now unconscious man, about to come crashing down on top of him. He quickly turned and instinctively covered his face with his arms in protective posture, bracing for the impact, yelling out in anticipation of the pain of being crushed by this rather large muscle-bound individual, but as soon as the body made contact with him it was instantly thrown back into the air as if being repelled by an unseen force. They had barely touched. Fumio stopped yelling and watched in astonishment as the man hurtled some thirty feet, backwards through the air, landing in some bushes and rolling onto the car-park surface.

It all happened very quickly.

"What the??!!" said the gang leader glancing back at the sudden commotion going on behind him, and seeing the unconscious man flying through the air.

"NOW!" yelled Heero suddenly rushing forward, and striking the rather startled thug to the ground with one well placed blow. He turned to the next mugger on the left whilst Wufei took out the one on the right. Instantly, the three remaining pilots lunged forward, quickly and skilfully putting to the ground whoever challenged them. The remaining gang members looked panicked. Several of them dropped their weapons and ran. A couple stayed and stood their ground.

Fumio scrambled to his feet again and ran as fast as he could towards the girls who were stood back out of harms way. They would have waded in and joined the Gundam boys themselves, but quickly realised that in evening wear, their task would have proved a little tricky, and the boys quickly seemed to have things under control anyway.

"Are you alright Fumio!" asked Noin concernedly, rushing forward to meet him. Sally and Hilde followed no more than a step behind her.

"I'm ok thanks," he replied as he reached them, looking a bit shaken up.

All three girls placed arms around him and fussed over him.

"You sure?" asked Noin, leaning down so her face was level with his.

Fumio nodded, "I'm sure, really" He replied again, but was holding a hand to his neck as if in pain.

"Let me see," urged Sally.

Fumio took his hand away allowing her to see. The skin on his neck and throat was reddened from where Genko had grabbed him.

Noin sucked air in sharply through her teeth as she saw the damage.

"Ouch! That looks sore." she commented, then looked up across to where the attack had taken place.

"Those rotten bastards!" she cursed, "To think we fought in a war so people like that can have the freedom to do things like this!"

"Does it hurt much?" asked Sally

He shook his head, "no it's fine, really, it's nothing." He looked grateful for her concern.

By now, the rest of the muggers had retreated, hastily taking their fallen comrades with them. Even the ones who had stood their ground swiftly changed their minds when they realised just how unflappable and in-control the Gundam boys appeared to be.

Duo, Trowa and Quatre turned round and headed back to where the girls and Fumio stood. Heero and Wufei remained standing ready for a short while longer, in case any of the gang changed their minds and came back.

"You guys ok?" asked Quatre in a concerned voice as they hurriedly approached.

"Yeah, we're all fine here," replied Sally, "How about you?"

"All present and accounted for!" chirped Duo, almost sounding pleased with himself, "That's one point for the good guys, zero for the bad guys!"

"Hey that was a pretty neat trick you did with that big guy Fumio, and those other two," suggested Duo cheerfully, "How on earth did you manage to throw that guy so far?"

Fumio was a little confused about that himself, and also a little worried. He realised that it was most likely his secret powers at work again, and was something he was not able to talk about or reveal to the others. He smiled nervously, "It was, Err… it was just an old monks mind trick. It's kind-of hard to explain". He was praying his answer would suffice.

Duo nodded. He knew there was a great deal more going on here than just some simple mind trick, but he registered Fumio's obvious anxiety about being asked to explain himself, so chose not to push for any more answers. He just smiled and ruffled the boys' hair.

The others too were listening and were more than just curious about this boy's ability to seemingly render fully grown men unconscious with just a simple touch, but they all following Duo's lead, and the conversation was dropped.

When Wufei was satisfied the Gang would not be returning, he turned and began walking back towards the others.

"You coming Heero? I think we're safe to assume they won't be back."

Heero glanced slowly back at Wufei. Eventually he nodded. He seemed reluctant to let his guard down. Wufei stopped walking.

"You ok?" he asked, his tone a little concerned.

Heero looked at the ground for a moment and sighed heavily. Saying nothing he reluctantly nodded then turned and began walking very slowly back towards the group.

"Hey! Nice work Heero! You too Wufei" commented Duo as they approached.

"Yes, you really showed them!" added Hilde.

Heero listened but didn't comment. He seemed distracted. Fumio watched him as he approached. He knew straight away that something was deeply troubling him.

"Heero?" asked Fumio, his tone concerned, "Are you ok? Are you injured?"

Heero nodded, "No I'm ok," he replied in a subdued voice, "Are you?"

Fumio nodded "yes, of course."

Heero stopped in front of his brother and paused for a moment. "God! I'm so sorry, Fumio" he spoke quietly in a depressed tone.

Fumio looked a little confused. He cocked his head to one side,

"I don't understand, why are you sorry? It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was. I should have been much more vigilant, I should have realised what was about to happen." He replied regretfully, "anyway, I made a promise to Lama Banai, and everyone at the monastery that I would look out for you, that I would keep you out of harms way." He sighed again and looked down at the ground, "and look what's happened."

"Heero, this really wasn't your fault," protested Fumio, gripping his hands onto Heero's forearms, His voice suddenly went quieter, "I… I know you're always worrying about me, but honestly, I'm really ok! There's no harm done. Please, don't blame yourself for what just happened."

"Yeah! Don't beat yourself up about this Heero!" suddenly added Duo, who had been listening, "The kid's right, none of us saw that coming. I guess it was just one of those things. You know, just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Heero sighed again, and nodded. "Well, we got away with it this time, and for that I'm thankful, but, damn it!" he suddenly cursed himself, "What if things hadn't turned out in our favour." He glanced back to Duo, then out across the car park to where the fighting had taken place. "This has got me seriously worried about the kind of risks we've taken by being out here. Damn it!" he cursed again under his breath, then turned back to face Fumio.

"There are over a hundred fighting-monks back at the monastery who have sworn an oath to protect you with their lives in the event that…" he paused, suddenly realising he was saying things out loud that the others should not be hearing.

Duo and Wufei looked at each other and raised an eyebrow as they listened.

"Well, you know what the score is Fumio," continued Heero. "They were all anxious about you leaving the safe environment you already had. What the hell was I thinking? Taking you away from that?" Heero's voice began to grow troubled, "How could my own skills possibly compare to that kind of protection? It seems at the moment I can barely prevent a simple mugging by street kids! Let alone, God forbid, anything worse."

Duo stepped in, "Woa Heero!" he gestured with his hands, "Just take a deep breath, and get a grip! I think you're blowing this way out of proportion; you're being way too hard on yourself. Don't forget we're Gundam trained too, and none of us saw it coming either."

Heero wanted to argue further, but couldn't. Neither Duo nor the others were aware of the mammoth secret he was guarding concerning Fumio's true purpose, and the huge significance that the boy held in the grand scheme of the new world peace they all enjoyed so much. They were not aware of the reasons behind the essential need for his security, and Heero could not risk them finding out. The implications of learning such knowledge could be disastrous.

Before Heero had a chance to respond, Fumio stepped in,

"Duo's right Heero. Please, don't get mad with yourself, don't feel bad about this," his small hands still firmly gripping the underside of Heero's sleeves. "You really are blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault. Remember the conversations we used to have about fate?"

Finally Heero gave up the fight. He looked at his brother and gave a deep sigh,

"Maybe you're right, I guess, perhaps, there are times when I can be a bit single minded."

Fumio grinned, "What do you mean, 'a bit!'."

"Don't push it you!" replied Heero, pointing his finger and trying to look stern but unable to prevent a hint of a grin, "Come on guys, let's get out of here shall we."

The journey back to the Winner Mansion was quiet. Very few words were spoken. There seemed to be an air of slight resentment and frustration that such a great day was blemished by such a negative event, yet at the same time, there was a definite sense of victory and increased togetherness among the group. The old feeling of camaraderie that everyone had experienced during the war was back. Everyone in the group somehow felt just that little bit closer to each other, causing the bad feelings about the mugging, to melt away into insignificance.

Chapter Seventeen

Less than half an hour after returning to the mansion, Fumio had headed off to bed after seeming none the worse for the earlier incident. The rest of the group remained downstairs in the lounge. The mood was quiet and reserved and there was still a sense of annoyance that the attempted mugging had spoilt such a great evening.

Quatre and Hilde had made everyone a mug of hot chocolate. They all sat quietly in the lounge drinking. Despite everyone having many questions about what they had witnessed, there seemed to be a slight reluctance to talk about the events.

It was Duo who eventually broke the silence.

"Oh come on guys!" he chirped, "Lighten up a little will ya? We're acting as if someone has died!"

Quatre was quick to back his fellow pilot,

"Yes, come on guys, this isn't like us at all! Whatever happened to the old comradeship?"

"Yeah!" continued Duo, "I don't know about you, but I actually feel pretty good about kicking some genuine 'bad guys' butt tonight! Now that's my kind of justice!"

"You're missing the point Duo," remarked Heero win an irritated voice. "I still can't believe we were all so off guard. They were just street punks for crying out loud! How the hell could they have outsmarted all of us?" Have our skills become so rusty in just six months?" He sounded annoyed with himself.

Sally leaned forward and patted him on the knee,

"Heero, I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but you're not a soldier anymore, you're a civilian just like the rest of us. It's inevitable that those finely tuned skills of yours will fade over time if you have no need to put them to use."

"Yes Heero", piped up Noin, "I don't think there's any shame in being caught out like we were tonight, It was just one of those unfortunate facts of life that all decent people seem to have to live with."

Heero continued to look annoyed and perplexed.

"Not this soldier!" he grunted, "No way! You may be prepared to let go of your skills, but not me." He stood up quickly, "I'd rather die than become weak and fade away like that!" he grumbled, his voice agitated and gruff. He began marching towards the door.

"Hey! Where'ya going Heero?" asked Duo.

Heero stopped walking and paused for a moment, still looking towards the door. He gave a deep sigh and seemed to calm down again, he glanced sideways at the group.

"I'm going to check on Fumio," he said, his voice now lowered. He continued towards the door and left the room.

By the time he'd reached Fumio's room, he'd completely calmed down. He knocked quietly on the door and entered.

Fumio was in bed, already asleep. The desk lamp beside the bed remained switched on. Heero's initial thoughts were to leave and avoid the risk of disturbing him, but instead, he found himself walking quietly across the room and sitting down on the chair next to the bed. He needed some time to think things through and somehow, this seemed like the most appropriate place to be.

He observed the sleeping boy for a moment. Fumio was buried comfortably under the duvet with just his head peeking out. He was lying on his side, snuggled up to his pillow. He gave a contented sigh, as he appeared to drift deeper into a contented slumber.

"Well, he seems ok," He thought to himself, feeling a little more relieved.

Heero sighed and closed his eyes, allowing himself some time to try to address the multiple, nagging thoughts running around inside his mind, not least of which concerned the rest of the group witnessing first-hand Fumio's now, not-so-secret powers.

He began to question if bringing him here was a good idea. So far it had seemed to entail nothing but one disaster after another. The episode with the storm and the broken window, the attempted mugging, all within the space of 24 hours. He wondered how much psychological damage the boy had sustained from it all.

He realised that Fumio was hardly in the most stable frame of mind in the first place. With so many traumas from his past and the additional burden and responsibility of the incredible powers that were developing within him, Heero knew that things would always be tough. Fumio would probably have to spend the rest of his life being very strong willed and in control. Any let-up in his determination and he could be at risk of loosing his mind.

As the thoughts mulled over in his head Heero began to feel pangs of sympathy.

"He never asked for any of this" he thought silently in his head, "Such a genuinely caring kid, yet he's suffered so much? Why must he continue to suffer even now?"

He tried to imagine how he would cope if he was the one in Fumio's shoes, only to admit that even he, the supposed perfect soldier, would have a hard time sustaining the high levels of determination and strong-will needed just to maintain one's sanity.

A few minutes later, Heero gave another sigh and opened his eyes. Fumio was staring back at him.

"Oh, you're awake," He commented in a quietly surprised voice, "Sorry, Did I wake you?"

Fumio shook his head negatively, still lying on his side.

"I was just listening," he whispered.

"Listening? To what?"

"Your thoughts," he replied softly, forming a smile. "You worry way too much Heero."

A slight, but compassionate grin formed on Heero's face

"Yes, I suppose I do," he replied, nodding. He leaned forward in his chair,

"And as long as I have you to look out for, I guess I have every intention to go on worrying too much."

Fumio instinctively reached across and patted Heero's forearm gently.

"You're the best brother I ever had," he whispered appreciatively.

Heero smiled again,

"I'm the _only_ brother you ever had."

Fumio grinned back,

"Well ok, but you're still the best."

Heero didn't look entirely convinced, "Hmm, I think I'd be a better brother if I hadn't put you in harms way tonight."

"You're still really troubled about what happened tonight aren't you?"

Heero sighed, nodding, "I can't believe I let my guard down so much, I can't believe how stupid I've been." he replied, cussing at himself again, "You got hurt because I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing."

"Heero! Stop it!" suddenly demanded Fumio, quickly sitting up. "Just… Just stop it! Please!"

Heero suddenly stopped talking; looking surprised at the frustration Fumio was openly showing.

"You don't know how frustrating it is to hear you talk like that!" Fumio was beginning to show anger in his voice

Heero looked puzzled,

"What? I… I don't know wh…"

"It's not just about what happened tonight. You're always complaining about how badly you have done and that you should have done better and that you've let me down and, and, and that you've let others down and, well… it's, it's, just not true Heero! It's never been true!" Fumio's words were galloping as he became more frustrated.

"Heero, you've got to stop hitting yourself over the head every time something doesn't go right! Stop blaming yourself all the time!! It's driving me insane!"

Heero was a little speechless. He never realised that his comments and attitude had bothered him so much. Ironically, Heero's instincts were telling him to see this as yet another failure on his part.

Heero wanted to respond, but was finding it hard to conjure up the words for a suitable reply. Deep down, he realised Fumio was right, he did blame himself at every opportunity whenever things went wrong. The war had conditioned him to be meticulous and to expect the unexpected, but he never realised that ordinary everyday life could not quite be planned or lived quite in the same way.

He began to feel guilty that his attitude had become such a burden. Until now, he never understood that although he may have been looking out for Fumio, at the same time his own pessimism was having such a negative influence.

Eventually he responded quietly, "I'm sorry. I had no idea. No idea at all." There was nervous hesitation in his voice.

Sensing Heero's guilt, Fumio reached up and pulled him into a firm embrace.

"Don't feel bad Heero," he pleaded, "Just promise you'll stop blaming yourself for everything all the time."

Heero returned the heartfelt embrace.

"I promise", he spoke quietly, "I really do promise I'll try."

A few minutes later Heero finally left his brother to sleep and wandered back downstairs into the lounge where everyone was gathered discussing the events of the evening. The others seemed to go quiet as he entered the room; it was obvious they had been discussing Fumio and the unexplainable things he had done.

He sat down on the sofa next to Noin. All eyes were on him.

He looked back at the stares and frowned. "What?" he asked, seeing the questioning looks etched on everyone's faces.

Duo seemed to be the one who had been unofficially nominated to ask the question. He shuffled forward in his seat, looking Heero uncomfortably in the eye. He came straight to the point.

"So, come on Heero." he said, a slight apprehension in his voice, "What is it you're not telling us?"

The rest of the group began nodding slightly, confirming their curiosity along with Duo's.

Instantly Heero felt a heavy weight on his mind.

In the light of all that had happened, he realised it would be unlikely they would go the whole evening without somebody asking that question.

"What do you mean Duo?" he asked, in a somewhat denying look.

Duo sighed again, searching for the appropriate words.

"Come on Heero, I think you know what we're talking about." he suggested in a tone hinting that he wasn't stupid.

"What Fumio did to those thugs earlier, you don't really expect us to believe that was just some clever mind trick do you?" Duo continued, "We all heard you say that there was a whole monastery full of monks who had sworn to protect him with their lives, although you were a little reluctant to mention why."

Duo's voice became curious.

"It just kind-of leads us to wonder why over a hundred-or-so fighting-monks would be willing to lay down their lives for just one kid, I mean, I guess they've gotta think he's pretty special?"

Wufei added to the questioning,

"Yes, and we all saw him throw that man clean across the parking lot. It must have been over thirty feet!" his tone of voice teetering on both puzzlement and annoyance.

"I've spent my entire life doing martial arts, and I've seen a lot of pretty amazing stuff, but that, well, that was way beyond anything I've ever seen before."

His voice became more annoyed,

"How can a sixty pound kid throw a two hundred pound fully grown adult thirty feet through the air?! It's just not possible! Not according to the laws of physics that I know anyway!"

The others in the room continued to nod in agreement with Duo and Wufei's words.

"Which sort-of brings us back to the original question," Continued Duo,

"What is it you're not telling us about Fumio?"

Heero sighed tiredly and looked at the floor.

"Damn!" he cursed quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. He knew he wasn't going to be able to shrug this off.

He sighed again.

"This… this has put me in a very awkward position," he said hesitantly.

"What do you mean Heero?" asked Sally.

"You all witnessed something tonight that you were never supposed to see, and it's put me in a real position of conflict."

The others glanced questioning looks at each other.

"Officially, I can't tell you about what you saw," continued Heero, "I'm sworn to secrecy about it." He paused for a moment, taking the time make eye contact with each of the group. "However… I also realize that, after what you've all seen tonight, I can hardly expect you to go away from here and not talk about it, or discuss it with others."

He quickly began weighing up all the pros and cons in his mind before finally concluding that he had little choice. He would have to explain to the others about Fumio's powers. At least in a way he could make them understand why it must be kept secret.

"Ok… ok." Heero said quietly after another long pause, weighing up a final summary of whether he was doing the right thing. He reluctantly indicated he would explain.

"I'm going to tell you about it, but only so that you fully understand why it must never! be discussed or revealed to soul outside of this room." His voice remained quiet, but deadly serious.

"You have to understand the implications of this knowledge. Make no mistake; this information does not go beyond the eight of us, or beyond these walls. You don't discuss it, you don't mention it, you don't even comment on it, not to anyone, No matter how much you think you know or trust them!

"I think we get the idea Heero," remarked Duo.

Heero glared at him with a very serious expression.

"You'd better!" he replied dryly, "Because one careless word, one single mention, one overheard conversation, and…" Heero paused for a moment, contemplating the consequences if word of this got out. He gingerly continued, "and… well, It will be the equivalent of signing Fumio's death warrant. If this information gets out, Fumio is as good as dead."

Everyone looked a little shocked. They had all suspected that something was going on, but none of them realised just quite how serious it was. They could all see that Heero looked very nervous about telling them as he shuffled uncomfortably in his seat.

Quatre spoke up, "After what you've just told us, I don't think there's a single person in this room who could fail to honour your request Heero," he assured.

There were nods from all around the room and comments of

"Absolutely," and "There's no way we'll do anything like that" all indicating total loyalty to Heero's request.

Everyone by now was desperately curious to know the big secret that Heero had been hiding about Fumio. Heero nodded at Quatre and the others accepting their promise of loyalty. Still looking nervous, he continued.

"This… this… is something that is only known by the monks at Fumio's monastery who were individually selected to live there. They have all taken an oath of secrecy and a life commitment to serving…" he paused, realising he was getting way ahead of himself. He gave another deep sigh and back-tracked a little to start at the beginning.

"Yes, you were right Duo. The monks at the monastery, well, in truth… they do think he's pretty special. They have a name they sometimes use to describe him."

The others looked on with interest, some sat further forward in their seats as Heero began to explain.

"What is this name Heero?" asked Wufei.

"Hikari no Tenshi Chiisai." He replied.

Wufei raised an eyebrow, impressed by Heero's flawless pronunciation of the words. He was quick to begin translating.

"Well, 'Chiisai' loosely means small or little, which kind-of figures because Fumio is so small for his age. I believe 'Hikari' is a reference to the light… but…" he hesitated, "but 'Tenshi'… I'm pretty sure that refers to angel!"

"Angel?" asked Sally,

"So they call him 'little light angel'!" she commented smiling.

"Actually I think it's more like 'small angel of light' " replied Wufei.

"Oh that's really sweet!" cooed Noin.

"It is kind-of sweet", suggested Sally, "but isn't 'Angel' more like a referral you would use for a girl, rather than a boy?"

Wufei nodded in agreement.

Sally suddenly grinned, "Unless of course they actually thought he really was some kind of real… life… oh my god!"

Suddenly Sally's voice sounded astonished and shocked. What had intended to be a light-hearted comment, suddenly took on a totally different, much more serious meaning.

She looked at Heero, her face astounded,

"Do you mean Heero, they actually think he's some kind of… of… angel!? For real?!"

The room fell totally silent, all eyes looking to Heero for some kind of explanation. He did not respond straight away, he continued to look at Sally, mulling over in his mind how best to respond to her and the others.

Heero was even more hesitant than before in his answer, knowing he'd reached crunch time.

"Actually… they think he's more like a kind of… deity, or being of spiritual significance." his voice was calm but nervous.

The silence remained and Heero instantly began to regret what he had just told his friends, realising what he was asking them to believe.

"Whoa!! Now just hold on a minute here! Time out people! Time out!" called Duo shifting forward in his chair and signalling the letter 'T' with his hands.

"Hey! Come on guys! Let's just do a brief check-in to Hotel Reality here!"

The others remained silent.

"Heck Heero!" protested Duo, his voice sounding slightly annoyed,

"I was expecting you to tell us that he'd had some kind of special training or something… not that he's, like, the next Messiah!!"

A slight, but still nervous grin appeared on Heero's face.

"It's not quite as drastic as that Duo!" he remarked.

"Oh yeah?" replied Duo, "Then tell that to the Goosebumps running down my back!" he protested.

Heero continued,

"All… all, of the stuff you've seen and experienced," he said, his voice still slow and nervous, "like with those muggers earlier today, none of it was anything to do with any Gundam training he's had. It all came from something he already has inside him."

The group continued to listen in jaw-dropped silence.

Moments later Duo suddenly stood up and began pacing around.

"This is nuts! I mean, don't get me wrong Heero, Fumio is a great kid, I like him a lot… but this? it's… it's… it's… just so…"

"Ridiculous?" suggested Heero sounding like he'd had this conversation many times before. Duo stopped pacing and faced him.

"Well, frankly… Yes!" he reluctantly agreed.

Heero nodded, understanding where Duo was coming from.

Hilde suddenly spoke up, breaking the uneasy silence that had ensued again.

"Duo's right Heero", she said, "Fumio is a really sweet boy. We all love him to bits, and yes, he does seem to have some unusual abilities, but… a deity? Heero? Come on, surely not?!"

Sally piped up, backing Hilde's words.

"Are you sure the Monks haven't just mistaken Fumio's obvious gentle nature for something more than it is Heero?" she asked,

"I mean, I can almost see why they are thinking what they are, and some of his abilities could easily be mistaken for more… virtuous gifts, but what they are believing, surely… it can't be true. It's got to be a mistake… hasn't it?

"Heero", added Duo, "Surely you've set them straight on a few things? Surely you've told them they must be mistaken?"

Heero looked at Duo but remained silent.

Moments later Duo nervously ran his hand through his hair,

"Oh Heck! I know that look!" he said nervously, "You, you actually believe it yourself! don't you… Heero?"

There was a long pause before Heero reluctantly nodded.

"It's kind-of complicated, and I don't even pretend to understand all of the details." he replied tentatively, "but I think the monks believe his soul has a kind-of tether connected to some sort of spiritual saint from a thousand years ago. They say his spirit can enable him to focus the power of light into a physical form."

Several raised eyebrows met his words.

"Am I the only one who thinks perhaps those monks might have been smoking the incense instead of just burning it?" remarked Duo, still sounding unconvinced. "I still think this is nuts Heero! The work of an active imagination!"

"But how can you explain what we saw earlier Duo?" asked Sally.

"I don't know!" snapped Duo in reply, his voice now growing agitated, "but there's got to be a more reasonable explanation that some God-like powers from a dead saint!"

"Are you sure this isn't just some kind of by-product of the Gundam training, a bit like the running away thing?" asked Noin, "maybe something was affected in his mind by all that terrible stuff he was exposed to?"

Heero shook his head.

"It's a lot more proven than that Noin." replied Heero, "His exact birth date was predicted over six hundred years ago, I have seen the original texts with my own eyes, and… I have seen what he can do with the power of his mind. I have no doubts any more." He replied, now sounding a little more confident.

"The monks spent many years trying to locate every child born on that specific day in their search for him." he added.

"Whoa! Wait a minute Heero." Interrupted Duo, "I don't get this. How come the Foundation got hold of him and not the monks?"

"I believe it was more coincidence than anything else." replied Heero, "At the time, I do not believe the foundation knew of Fumio's more… decided path. The unusual brainwave patterns they detected coming from him when they were screening for potential Gundam pilots were what made them select him, nothing else."

"So, what exactly are these mind powers Heero?" asked Quatre, "How do they work? How does he use them?"

Heero looked at the floor, thinking over how he would explain,

"To be honest, I don't fully understand them myself, except that right now they are very powerful, and, in time, they will become fully developed, and more powerful than any of us could possibly imagine."

"You mean these powers are growing?" asked Sally.

Heero nodded,

"As he matures, so do his abilities."

"How powerful are we talking about Heero?" asked Quatre again, "I mean we saw him make those thugs fall unconscious and throw that guy across the parking lot, do you mean that when they are fully developed he could do even more than that?"

Heero looked at him with a blank expression.

"You really have absolutely no idea do you," he remarked, realising that they were talking on different scales, set miles apart. The others looked at him silently.

"Let me tell you about a little experiment the monks did when Fumio first joined the monastery" suggested Heero,

"They took him out to a deserted part of the country up near the north coast, where his actions wouldn't be seen, to allow him to practice and find out to what extent his powers had developed. For the very first experiment, they placed a discarded paint tin in the branches of a nearby tree to see if he could move or influence it in any way using only the power of his mind."

"Did it work?" asked Sally, "Could he move it?"

Heero hesitated for a moment, looking expressionlessly at her.

"Oh, he moved it alright" he eventually replied in a serious, monotone voice, "but it wasn't just the paint tin. He inadvertently ripped about half a square mile of forest clean off the face of the Earth and sent it hurtling through the air until it eventually crashed into the sea, but not before causing a sudden and spectacular lightening display right across the northern coast which lasted for over an hour.

There were subtle gasps of shock from everyone as surrealistic feelings dominated everyone's thoughts.

"It totally freaked him out. It was not long after his powers had first begun to surface and it was the first time he had really openly used them."

"My god!" gasped Sally, "is that really true?"

Heero nodded,

"Lama Banai explained the whole thing to me a few months ago. If I'm honest, it kind-of freaked me out too. I know I've seen his powers in action, but never to that extent, and you have to realise, that was four years ago, he's become much stronger since then."

Wufei looked horrified, "You mean he can't actually control these powers?" he asked sounding extremely concerned.

"Don't worry, he can now," reassured Heero, "but that incident shocked him so much, that for about a year or two afterwards he totally refused to even entertain the idea of trying to use them again. Only in the past couple of years or so has he begun to experiment with them once more."

"What made him change his mind?" asked Noin.

"It was mainly the other monks pressing him on the importance of learning to master them."

"So he can control them now?" asked Sally.

Heero nodded eagerly,

"Absolutely. As he's grown older, his ability to be in charge of them has sort-of come along naturally, although he can still have occasional problems with them."

"So that must mean he's telekinetic" suggested Noin, "you know, being able to move objects with your mind."

Heero nodded.

"Telekinesis's is just one part of it, but there's so much more. I remember he tried to describe it to me once, he said he felt as if he was interacting with creation itself, being able to influence it with his mind and thoughts."

"So what does this all mean Heero?" asked Trowa, "What's it all for, what's the meaning of it all?"

"Well, according to the ancient texts, it is said that when his powers are fully developed, he could have the ability to unite mankind in a ways never been seen before. Quite how he's supposed to do that, or in what way, I'm uncertain, but I'm sure he'll know what to do when the time is right."

The room remained silent. There was a certain unified numbness as everyone digested the information Heero had told them. Many still wanted to doubt what he was saying, it all seemed so far-fetched and unrealistic that it was more like science fiction than reality, yet every one of them knew deep down in their hearts that, what Heero was telling them really was the truth.

Duo still remained sceptical. As he sat there, he was subtly shaking his head from side to side.

"This is too much Heero!" he gasped, still sounding a little annoyed, "Do you realise what you're actually asking us to believe?"

Heero stared back at him coldly.

"I'm not asking you to believe anything" he replied dryly, "I'm just asking you _not_ to discuss it with anyone."

Suddenly Trowa shuffled forward in his chair and looked at Duo. He had been sat quietly listening to all that had been said.

"You know, ordinarily, I'd be inclined to agree with Duo. I'd be sat here thinking this is crazy talk…"

"But? you don't think that… do you Trowa?" asked Hilde, in a tone suggesting he was about to surprise everyone. She had also been rather quiet during the past few minutes, trying to make sense of it all. Trowa shook his head and all eyes fell on him as he delivered what could only be described as a 'testament'.

"Something extraordinary happened to me tonight. Something so extraordinary in fact, that I really believe that what Heero has told us is true. I don't know if deity is the right description to use, but the name the monks gave him is bang on. Small angel of light… Fumio is the real deal. The genuine article."

There were more looks of astonishment as everyone tried to fathom what extraordinary event Trowa was referring to, and why it had made him draw to such a decisive conclusion. Eventually it was Wufei who asked him to explain.

"When we were dealing with those muggers earlier tonight, I… Err… I managed to break two of my fingers when I knocked one of them to the ground. It was so stupid!" he cussed, sheepishly.

"My fingers caught in his jacket when I lunged forward with a strike."

Trowa held up his right hand pointing to his little finger and the one next to it, "It bent them right back and I felt them both crack. the pain was sudden and severe"

Sally stood up and walked over to him. "You fool Trowa! Why didn't you say something?" she asked, gently taking his hand and examining it.

"I… I guess I was a little embarrassed." He reluctantly replied, momentarily glancing up at her, "I was going to wait until I got back here and then see if I could reset the bones myself without making a big deal out of it. I guess I would have asked you for your help Sal, if I couldn't do it myself."

Sally tutted, but quietly empathised. She realised that, as a highly trained Gundam pilot, he was having a hard time explaining that something as simple as a mugging, had left him injured.

After looking carefully at his hand, Sally could find nothing wrong.

"Well your fingers look fine to me Trowa, are you sure they were broken?" she said.

Trowa nodded. "The little one was bent outwards the wrong way."

His comments were met with sharp, pain-expressing intakes of breath from both Quatre and Hilde.

"But I don't understand", said Sally still scrutinising his fingers closely, "They show no signs of ever being broken, although a scan might show something. How did you… oh boy!" Sally paused for a moment, "You're going to tell us that Fumio healed you, aren't you?"

Trowa looked her in the eye and slowly nodded.

The now familiar silence returned to the room.

"He knew instinctively", added Trowa, "I was in a lot of pain, but I was hiding it from everyone. That's why I was sat on the back seat on my own. Yet, within moments of our journey home beginning, Fumio clambered over and sat next to me. I have no idea how he knew."

"I remember him climbing over to the back of the car", said Noin, "I just figured he didn't want you be sat on your own."

"Yes, that's what I thought too," added Wufei.

Trowa continued. "I rested my injured hand on the seat beside me. Fumio came and sat on my other side and simply held out his upturned palm, gesturing for me to show him my injury. He said nothing, and the strange thing is, I was seriously afraid of knocking it or touching it against anything as the pain was so intense, but, without a second thought, I brought my hand out and placed it into his palm. It was like my fear had suddenly left me."

The whole group were listening with utter fascination at Trowa's description.

"He just looked at me, smiled, told me not to worry, then the next few moments were kind of weird… I remember feeling an intense focused heat coming from his hand, not hot enough to burn, but very warm nonetheless. Then, moments later I remember seeing my finger straighten out all by itself. There was this kind of reddish, translucent glow coming from my whole hand for a few seconds, then, it was all over."

Trowa smiled slightly as he thought more about it,

"Ordinarily I think most people would have totally freaked out at seeing something like that, yet, I felt amazingly calm. There was no pain, no discomfort whatsoever, just a kind of fuzzy warm feeling."

"That was it?" said Duo, somehow expecting more, "Your hand was fixed?"

Trowa nodded.

"I didn't quite know how to react. Once I had established that my fingers were completely healed, I looked at him. I guess I must have looked pretty shocked, but all he did was smile at me and put a finger over his lips, gesturing for me not to say anything."

"Oh heck!" commented Duo, "Now my goose bumps just got their own goose bumps!"

For quite a while, everyone just sat there thinking.

"Well," commented Sally, eventually breaking the quiet, "if all of this is true, then I'm just so glad that it's someone like Fumio who has these powers and not some evil-minded psychopath."

"Actually," replied Heero, "I understand its part of the design of things."

Sally enquired what he meant.

"The monks have told me that these are supposed to be powers of pure light which means they can not be wielded by evil. Only someone who is completely and genuinely unable to create original evil thought is able to hold this power. Apparently that's an extremely rare trait in Humans."

"What I don't understand is, why all the secrecy Heero?" said Hilde, "If he's got all these powers, why is there such a threat hanging over him? Why did you say he's as good as dead if this is found out?"

Heero sighed and shuffled forward in his seat. He knew he would have to explain this carefully. This was the very reason that he had broken his oath of secrecy and told the others, so that they would fully understand the dangers and not gossip about it.

"As we speak, there are people working around the clock, trying to track him down. If they find him, they only have one mission, to make sure he does not reach a stage where his powers mature."

"You mean they want to… to kill him?" asked Noin hesitantly.

Heero gingerly nodded.

"Who are these people Heero?" asked Wufei, "Can we do something about them?"

Heero shook his head.

"It's an underground fanatical religious movement. They have become a particularly powerful threat. They learned of the existence of these powers some years ago and have recruited many evil-minded or brainwashed people in their quest to rid themselves of what they see as a 'threat' to their way of life. They have operational cells all over the world and are virtually impossible to track down. Fortunately, as far as we can tell, they have not yet found out who the holder of these powers is. They do not know it's Fumio. However, they only have to put a face to their target, and Fumio will have to go into hiding, and on the run. That's why this information must never be divulged."

"But Surely, Fumio can use his powers to defend himself?" asked Hilde.

"We can't take that risk yet", replied Heero, "Despite having these powers, he's still very vulnerable. You've already seen that he can be badly injured. He can seem to heal others but he can't seem to use the powers on himself, at least not yet anyway."

The room went quiet again as everyone continued to mull over all of the things they had been told. Everyone had a thousand things to say and ask; yet nobody seemed to know where to begin. The whole picture that Heero had painted upon their minds was dominating their every thought process. The silence was deafening. One could almost hear the whirring of everyone's brains frantically calculating and analysing this mind-blowing information, desperately trying to make it connect in some way with reality.

Heero was feeling tired and stressed. To his surprise, he was also feeling pretty shaken up inside. He never realised how much breaking his oath of secrecy would affect him. He began to question if he'd done the right thing. He knew that he couldn't let the others leave without making them understand the importance of keeping secret what they had witnessed, so telling them seemed to be the most logical choice. However, the voice of regret inside his mind was more dominant than ever. He couldn't help but feel that he'd just placed Fumio's life into the hands of others, and the thought made him very uncomfortable.

He looked around the room at the questioning faces and quickly decided it was time to wrap things up. He really didn't want them asking any more questions.

He sat forward in his seat again and addressed the group.

"Look, guys." his voice was calm, but tired, "I realize what I've told you tonight may seem a little wild. I appreciate what you're feeling right now, and if it's any consolation, well, It took me about three weeks to get used to the idea myself." A subtle smile appeared on his face as he briefly reminisced back to the time where he had first gone to live at the monastery straight after the war. "Hell! I even accused the monks of being crazy and deluded!" he commented.

"So what was it that made you change your Mind Heero?" asked Sally.

Heero thought back some more to that time.

"I… I watched him heal someone sick... real sick" was the short, somewhat unrevealing reply. I guess that was my wake-up call.

Sally wanted to ask him more about it, but didn't push it as she could clearly see from the look on his face that he didn't want to discuss it any further.

"Look..." continued Heero, "I'm not really bothered whether you believe what I have told you or not. What I _am_ asking, is that you don't discuss this with anyone, that's all. You are all ex-military, you all know about secrecy and how to maintain it, and I'm asking you all to apply those skills to this situation. I can't help but feel that I've just placed my brother's life into the hands of others, and to tell you the truth, I'm really not too thrilled about it."

He paused for a moment, scanning his eyes around the room, meeting with the eyes of each of the others. He sighed and lowered his voice.

"I know I can trust each and every one of you with my life, I'm just hoping it will be the same for Fumio."

As he continued to look into the eyes of each of the group, he was acknowledged one by one with a subtle nod or gesture. Although no words were spoken, within those simple looks came an assurance from each and every person, indicating beyond any doubt, that Heero had their total and unreserved loyalty.

Chapter Eighteen

After such a late night, it was gone seven AM before Fumio woke up.

He dressed into jogging bottoms and t-shirt, and headed downstairs. None of the others appeared to be up, but on reaching the kitchen he found Heero sat quietly at the table with a mug of coffee in front of him.

"Good morning" he chirped, smiling.

Heero still looked half asleep but nodded nevertheless, then gestured for Fumio to sit down as he had something he needed to discuss.

Quietly, Heero explained about what he had told the others the night before, and that Fumio's powers were no longer a secret. At first he seemed a little surprised, as it was something Heero was always so highly guarded about, but when Heero had explained his reasoning, it began to make more sense. Fumio agreed that his brother had little choice but to tell them.

Fumio was also somewhat relieved and felt a weight lifting from his shoulders. He had truly hated keeping the others in the dark. No matter what reasoning Heero and the other monks had given him about not telling anyone, he'd still felt like a fraud. Lying to people was not something he did easily, or willingly. At times during the past few days he'd felt so awful and deceptive that he could barely look them in the eye, particularly Wufei and Noin, both of whom had shown him so much kindness.

A short wile later after thanking Heero for telling him, Fumio left the house and headed off down the huge lawn towards the lake. He had decided to do some exercise and perhaps meditate by the lake for a while.

It was going to be another beautiful day. The bright intensity of the morning sun made him squint as he stepped out from the shadow of the building and onto the slightly dew-damp grass. The air was fresh, but not cold and he could feel the heat of the sun warm his back as he calmly meandered his way down the lawn. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling good.

A broad, wondrous smile appeared on his face as he opening his eyes again and looked ahead to the vast snow-peaked mountain range that lay ahead on the distant horizon. The mountains were radiating the stunning shades of blues and pinks that could only be seen in nature early in the morning.

"This is just so beautiful, it's almost unreal," he quietly gasped to himself, "I am so lucky to be here!"

He felt exhilarated as he continued to absorb the splendour and sheer magnificence of his surroundings.

As he neared the lake he caught site of a figure stood animatedly on the far side of the boathouse. The person was dressed all in white and facing out across the plains towards the mountains, it was Wufei. From his slow, smooth scrolling movements Fumio could see he was performing a Tai Chi routine.

Less than a minute later the small monk was stood silently not far away from his Chinese friend. Uncertain if the closed-eyed Wufei realised he was there, Fumio began moving synchronously in time, joining him in the moving meditation.

They continued the routine for a few more minutes before Fumio suddenly sensed something intrusive within his mind. He stopped and slowly turned around, peeling his eyes towards the Chinese boy.

Wufei was still doing the Tai Chi movements, but was now staring silently back at him, his face frowning and serious. There was no nod or acknowledgement of any kind.

Suddenly Fumio looked startled.

"Wu… Wufei?" he stuttered quietly, "You're… You're mad at me… aren't you?"

Wufei did not respond immediately, he continued to make the long sweeping movements with his hands, continuing to look at Fumio sternly. Eventually he spoke.

"Was it fun?!" he asked, his voice suggesting real annoyance, even anger.

Fumio cocked his head to one side, "I… I don't unders…"

"Was it fun?!" he snapped again, interrupting, his voice now obviously angry, "Did you enjoy playing your little game of messing with my head?"

Fumio stared back in jaw-dropped silence.

Wufei stopped moving and lowered his arms.

"Did you get some sort of kick out of it? Eh?" he snarled, "Taking me for a fool like that!?"

Fumio tried to respond, but his shocked response was garbled; "But, but, I…"

"Leading me through the meditation ritual like that!" interrupted Wufei again, "All that effort, making me think we'd really achieved something amazing?"

Fumio continued to look shocked,

"But, but, it really was real!" he pleaded innocently.

"How the hell am I supposed to believe that now?" replied Wufei, "Damn it! How could I have allowed myself to be conned like that!? I really thought we had achieved something spectacular, we'd really pushed the boundaries to a level I never thought possible, but then all the time it was just you! You influenced my mind with those powers that Heero told me about last night, you just manipulated me!"

Fumio was now looking a little upset. "But Wufei! Please!" he pleaded, "You don't understand! It's not like that at all! We really did… "

"I'm not interested!" snapped Wufei, interrupting again as he turned and began moving away, heading back towards the house.

"You've made a fool and a mockery of me! I really don't understand or care about whatever these powers are Fumio," he began walking faster, "If they make you manipulate people like that, then they can be nothing more than a curse!"

Fumio hesitantly followed alongside him for a few paces, desperately trying to think of something to say back, to respond, to let Wufei know that he'd got it completely wrong, but the words did not come.

Wufei began to quicken his pace more, then, realising Fumio was following him, quickly span round and raised his voice again,

"Just stay away from me Fumio!! Do you hear me?!!" he gestured angrily with his arm, "Just keep away!"

Fumio stopped and stood silently in dumbstruck shock, watching the angry Wufei march back towards the house. He wanted to call out, to reply, but his brain just wouldn't seem to engage. He opened his mouth to call, but all that emerged was a somewhat whimpered "Wu… Wufei!"

Fumio was shocked and saddened to the core. This was something he was definitely not expecting. As he stood there, watching the white-attired figure marching fiercely away from him, he began to feel wretched, his insides knotted and twisted.

"He totally hates me!" he gasped quietly to himself. "Is this what will happen if people find out about my powers?" He thought about it some more, "Does this mean that the others all hate me now too?" The very thought sent shivers up his spine, as suddenly he began to feel very sad and isolated.

As his young mind tried to make sense of Wufei's reaction, terrible thoughts of a life in complete isolation began to dominate his feelings. He quickly realised that Wufei was actually the first person outside of the monastery he had encountered who had been given the knowledge of his powers, and his response was obviously not good,

"And we were friends," he thought silently to himself, "What about people who hardly know me, how will they react? Will it be even worse?"

As the thoughts of his potential isolated future began flooding his mind, he began to feel a little panicky. Thoughts of actually running away there and then began to enter his head. Should he just make himself disappear forever? Should he melt away into society as a normal person and try to lead a normal life? Or should he just head back to the monastery and write-off any ideas of ever leaving it again?

As he stood there by the lake, he felt pinned to the very spot where he stood unable to move in either direction. He couldn't go back to the house in case everybody hated him and he was in for a terrible, hostile reception, yet he couldn't turn and leave either. Deep down, he knew that, even if no one else liked him anymore, Heero would be frantic if he disappeared, and Fumio cared about him too much to put him through that. He was trapped.

Unable to move, Fumio gave a saddened sigh and slumped to ground where he stood, sitting cross-legged on the grass, slouching forward.

This day had barely started, and already he was wishing for it to end.

Back in the Mansion, the usual morning routine was unfolding; everyone converging in the kitchen for first contact and discussion about any planned events for the coming day.

Most of the group were up. Duo was the last one to enter the room.

"Morning Duo." greeted Quatre as he entered.

"Hey guys," was the tired response from the yawning American. He looked at the large china tea pot in Quatre's hand.

"You want tea?" asked Quatre.

Duo nodded and yawned again,

"Please."

Moments later, Quatre was acknowledged with a grateful nod as he handed him a mug of the refreshing brew.

"So, who's been upsetting Wufei then?" commented Duo quietly after taking a sip from his mug.

"What do you mean?" asked Sally, who was perched up against one of the work surfaces.

Duo cupped his hands around his mug to warm them and took another sip.

"I mean he just stormed past me upstairs like he's been in a fight or something. He looked really cheesed off."

"I haven't seen him at all today," Suggested Quatre.

"Me neither," added Noin and Trowa simultaneously.

"I actually thought he was still in his room," suggested Hilde, "I didn't think he'd come down yet."

Duo shrugged his shoulders,

"Well. maybe it's just me that's wrong then," he suggested.

"Oh! I've just remembered" suddenly spoke Quatre changing the subject, "Who's still on for the horse riding this afternoon? It's just that I need to confirm numbers and phone ahead to the stables to let them know how many horses to prepare."

He pulled a notepad and pen from one of the kitchen drawers.

"Sal, I know you were keen about it."

Sally nodded her head, "Yup, still am. Count me in Cat." she replied, "I'm really looking forward to it."

"Me too Cat!" Piped up Noin, "It's been a while, but I'm definitely looking forward to going."

Quatre acknowledged her with a nod and jotted another scribble into his notepad.

"Ok, can we have a show of hands? Who else is coming along?"

Trowa subtly waved his hand.

"So, how many horses do you have Quatre?" asked Sally with her hand also raised, she subtly waved it as she asked her question.

Quatre continued to scribble notes down on his pad. "We have twenty three registered to the Winner mansion, although, we actually keep them at the stables about a mile down the road from here."

"But you've got stables here Cat," suggested Noin, "What's the point of having stables if you're not going to use them?"

"The stables here do get used, but they are not suitable for long-term accommodation of the horses." He replied, "They are not heated and we have no full-time staff to take care of them, so we only tend to use the stables here for weekend events and the odd overnight stay. The other stables are state-of-the-art, and they have many staff who take very good care of the horses."

Quatre peeled his view back around the room.

"How about you two? Hilde? Duo?"

Duo looked up at his Gundam friend, with a slightly disturbed look on his face.

"Well, If it's all the same Cat, I think I'd prefer to stick to a mode of transport that doesn't have a mind of its own!" a smile appeared on his face.

Hilde stood beside him nodding, "I'm afraid I've got to go with Duo on this one" she commented, Backing him up, "I've never ridden before either, but it's just something I've never really fancied doing."

"Oh come on you two! It'll be fun!" suggested Noin, "There's nothing quite like the thrill of running cross country with the wind in your hair and the sound of galloping hoofs beneath you. Why don't you give it a try? It's fantastic fun."

Duo looked at her unconvinced, but she could sense the number-crunching going on inside his head, she could see he was actually starting to think about it.

"I won't pressure you guys either way," added Quatre, "but we do have a couple of cobs that we use for beginners, they have wonderfully gentle temperaments. I can make sure you are assigned to them. You wouldn't have to do anything, just sit in the saddle and enjoy the ride, they'll just follow the rest of the horses."

By now, even Hilde was looking more optimistic. After mulling it over and some hopeful looks from the others, she decided to throw caution to the wind,

"Oh what the heck!" she said tugging at Duo's arm, "Come on Duo, it sounds like this could be fun."

Duo looked at her then back at Quatre, "Well, as long as you promise I don't end up with some twisted psycho horse from Hell, then… Ok!"

"Great!" commented Quatre as he scribbled more notes down on his pad, then turned to the Japanese boy still sat at the table.

"Heero? What about you and Fumio? I assume you're both still coming along?"

Heero hadn't been taking much notice of the conversation, for some time he had been staring across the room out of the rear-facing windows. He could see his brother sat down at the far end of the gardens and knew that something wasn't right.

As soon as Duo had mentioned about Wufei appearing angry, Heero quietly began putting two and two together and had quite accurately hypothesized about what had happened.

"Heero!?" urged Quatre once again, breaking Heero from his contemplation. He looked round,

"Hmm?" he responded suddenly.

"You and Fumio? You're both coming out on the horses with us today aren't you?" he reiterated.

"Oh… yeah… count us in," he replied quietly, still looking a little deep-in-thought.

"You Ok Heero?" asked Noin.

Heero sighed and nodded, gesturing to shake-off his dozy state of mind,

"Yeah… sorry, I was miles away, just thinking."

"What about Wufei?" continued Quatre, "Duo, did he really look miffed, or did you just catch his 'I always look like this in the morning' side?"

"No, I really think he was annoyed about something."

"I'd better go and talk to him," suggested Sally, putting her empty coffee mug on the kitchen table and heading for the door.

"Err… to be honest Sal, I don't think that's a good idea! I really wouldn't disturb him for a while. Maybe you should let him cool off for a bit."

Sally thought about Duo's words for a moment then shook her head,

"I hear what you're saying Duo, but with Wufei, there never really is a cooling off period. He'll be like this until whatever it is that's bothering him is sorted." She continued through the door and headed upstairs for Wufei's room.

Quatre looked back at the notes he'd made on his note pad,

"Hmmm, well, I'll include him anyway," he suggested, adding in more scribble.

"I have to make a phone call, can I suggest that everyone should be ready to leave here for the stables at, say, one O'clock?" he said in a general address to the rest of the group. Several heads nodded in agreement.

"Ok, great! I'll make the call," smiled Quatre as he too disappeared through the door.

Some twenty minutes later, Sally emerged from Wufei's room. She closed the door behind her and gave a tired, almost frustrated sigh.

"It didn't go well then?" asked Heero, referring to Sally's annoyed, if somewhat muffled voice he had heard through the door moments earlier.

Sally quickly turned round to see Heero sat opposite in one of several chairs dotted along the giant corridor feeding the main rooms.

"Heero? Why are you sat there?" she asked in a surprised tone.

Heero shrugged, "Well, Knowing what Wufei could get like during the war, I figured it wouldn't hurt to be… you know… on-hand." he replied standing up. They began to amble back down the corridor together.

"Oh that was sweet of you Heero, but it really wasn't necessary, Wufei's not a monster you know."

"I know," he nodded, "But after you left, Duo mentioned that he looked a lot more angry than he was first suggesting, I guess I just wasn't happy with you being in there without some kind of fall-back plan. Anyway, what's up with him?"

Sally sighed again,

"Oh he can be so stubborn sometimes!" she commented in a frustrated voice, "It's your brother Heero" she became slightly hesitant.

"Since you told us those things last night, you know, about Fumio's strange abilities, Wufei's got it into his head that the meditation ritual thing they did the other day was just one big con. He thinks that Fumio manipulated and messed with his mind to make him feel like he did afterwards, you remember when he was on such a high?"

Heero nodded, understanding what Sally was telling him. It was exactly as he had suspected.

He shook his head negatively,

"There's no way Fumio would have done that, not in a million years, and I can tell you that for a fact," he explained. "Firstly, he's a total nit-picker when it comes to form and tradition, it's the be-all and end-all of life in the universe as far as he's concerned, he would never allow anything to change that, ever."

Sally listened quietly, absorbed by Heero's explanation.

"And secondly, the very night before the ritual, Fumio had made a concrete promise to me that he would not use his powers in any way during the time he was away from the monastery, obviously, last night with those thugs was an exception, but he would never knowingly break a promise, especially to me."

Sally nodded, agreeing.

"Well, I've tried to reason with Wufei. I believed all along Fumio wouldn't have done anything like that, but Wufei wasn't having any of it. His mind is adamant that's what happened, and there's no way I could talk him out of it." she glanced sideways and looked Heero in the eye, "Why don't you talk to him Heero, set him straight on a few things. They'd become such good friends, it would be such a shame if they parted company like this."

Heero nodded, mulling over Sally's suggestion.

"It would be sad, but…" He paused.

Sally knew straight away what he was about to say.

"You're… not going to interfere, are you?"

Heero thought carefully about his reply before responding.

"This is something Fumio is going to have to deal with himself Sal." he suggested, "I suspect this will not be the only time he'll have to deal with this kind of situation, and If I go running to the rescue every time, he will never learn to cope on his own."

Sally looked a little saddened, "I understand what you're saying Heero, but it's just so unfair, Wufei's being so unreasonable."

Heero nodded, agreeing with her.

"Life is unfair sometimes, and I do agree with you Sal, but if Fumio can turn this situation around by himself, just think what he will gain from it."

Eventually they agreed with each other and continued their stroll back downstairs.

As they reached the main hallway, they passed Quatre who enquired once again about Wufei's eligibility for the horse riding.

"Don't worry Cat, he'll definitely be going too." confirmed Sally,

Quatre nodded and continued on his way to where he was heading.

"How did you managed that?" enquired Heero.

"I didn't give him a choice," Sally grinned, "I put on my best 'scary mother voice' and threatened to put him across my knee if he didn't pull himself together!"

Heero laughed out loud, "You mean he actually believed you?"

Sally nodded, "I've never seen him look so embarrassed!"

Heero laughed again, "So he's going to come along because he's afraid you'll try to carry out your threat?"

Sally grinned and nodded again. "He might seem a bit reluctant, but he'll be there!"

Heero continued to laugh.

"All I can say is, if ever we get into an argument Heero," said Sally, waving a finger at him, "just don't _ever_ try to have the last word!"

After Breakfast, Hilde and Duo had decided to take a stroll through the grounds together. Neither of them had really taken the opportunity to explore their picturesque surroundings, a failing they now hoped to correct.

Some twenty minutes into their walk, they reached the lake and spent some time admiring the various nesting birds on and around the small tree-filled island in its centre. Eventually, they continued on their way, meandering arm-in-arm around the edge of the lake, intending to walk one of the rough paths that began on the far side of the water and seemed to head off towards one of the nearby forests.

As they passed the boathouse Hilde glanced to her right and suddenly spotted Fumio. The boy was sat huddled with his back against the side of the wooden-slatted building, his arms wrapped around his knees. The large building dwarfed his tiny frame.

He stared out ahead, seemingly oblivious to their presence.

"Duo," whispered Hilde, as she tugged on his arm and pointed silently. They stopped walking.

Duo observed him for a moment. He quickly felt that something was not right.

"H… hey? Fumio?" he called gingerly, "You ok kid?"

Fumio suddenly seemed to snap out of his staring ahead. Realising he had company he quickly wiped each of his eyes with the heel of his hand, sniffing, then looked across.

"I'm ok!" His voice squeaked unintentionally.

Hilde and Duo looked at each other, both realising that not all was right.

They broke from their arm-in-arm link and walked over, crouching down beside him. He looked up at them his eyes a little red, evidence of probable recent tears.

"Hey Fumio!" said Duo in a semi-whispered voice, "C'mon kid, it's ok. what's wrong? What are you hiding yourself away up here for?"

"Yes Fumio, we've all been a bit worried about you," suggested Hilde, "Especially after what happened last night."

Fumio looked up at her a little surprised.

"You've been worried about me?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Hilde nodded, smiling.

"You mean… you don't… hate me?"

Hilde and Duo suddenly looked at each other a little taken aback.

"Whoa!" spoke a surprised Duo, "Now just hold on a minute."

"Oh Fumio!" gasped Hilde, suddenly moving and sitting right beside him. She reached an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close, pressing her cheek gently against his hair.

"Why on earth would we hate you? of course we don't hate you, we love you!" she urged.

Duo shuffled across and sat close on Fumio's other side, forming a kind-of group huddle. Hilde continued, "Why would you say such a thing? What possible reason would we have to hate you?"

Fumio looked sheepishly at the ground,

"I know what Heero told you last night." he replied quietly.

"About your special powers?" asked Duo, in a slightly confused tone, "So why would that make you think we hated you? I actually think they're kind-of cool."

Fumio peeled his view towards Duo, but couldn't bring himself to actually look him in the eye.

"Wu… Wufei." He replied hesitantly.

"Oh! So this is Wufei's doing is it?" replied Duo, suddenly starting to sound a little vexed.

Fumio continued, "We were good friends, but since he found out, he really hates me."

Hilde gave his shoulders another squeeze,

"What exactly did he say to you Fumio?" she asked, "What made him act like that?"

Fumio looked guiltily down again, Hilde could feel his shoulders droop as he began to explain.

"He thinks I used my powers to manipulate him when we did the meditation Ritual." he replied almost in a tearful whisper, "He thinks I messed with his mind."

"And did you?" asked Hilde, already presuming what the answer would be.

Fumio shook his head, "Absolutely not!" he implored. He finally looked into her caring eyes, "I'd never do anything like that, not ever!" his voice almost pleading for her to believe him.

Duo leaned his head back against the wall of the boathouse, looking up.

"So, let's see." he sighed as he tried to get it straight in his head.

"Wufei was probably the first person you saw this morning who had been told about your powers last night. You saw his, obviously very bad reaction, and so, of course, you naturally believed that all of our reactions would be the same."

Fumio drooped his head and looked at the ground again.

"When you put it like that, it seems a bit silly now." he replied awkwardly.

"No it doesn't!" protested Hilde, jumping to his defence "How on earth were you supposed to know any different!"

"Damn!" cursed Duo, "Wufei can be such an idiot sometimes! I'd better have a word with him."

"No!" suddenly urged Fumio, interrupting him, "Please, you mustn't! Please don't say anything, it will just make things worse."

Duo sighed, and calmed down a little.

"Well, ok kid if you insist, but if he gets off-hand with you again, some of us may feel forced to get involved."

Fumio shook his head again, "Please Duo San, don't do anything that could make it any worse."

Duo sighed again, "Ok, I promise," he reluctantly answered, "but you'd better stay out of his way for a day or two, till he's had the chance to calm down, and realize how dumb he's been."

Fumio nodded. Hilde pulled him in close again. "In the meantime," she said quietly, "The rest of us still hope, very much, that you'll come horse riding with us this afternoon."

Fumio nodded, agreeing he would still attend. Hilde remained quiet for a moment, still hugging him. He seemed to take comfort from the embrace.

"We think the world of you Fumio, all of us," she whispered, "and I'm sure that includes Wufei too. You don't ever need to be thinking like that again. Ok?"

Chapter Nineteen

It was shortly after one O'clock when Quatre's huge four wheel drive vehicle pulled into the car park of the equestrian centre, sited less than a mile along the road from the Winner mansion. Everyone was on board, including Wufei, who seemed to have lightened up a little, although he was making every effort to keep out of Fumio's way. Fumio had pondered several times about trying to talk to him, but figured that it just wasn't the right time yet. The others, including Heero had managed to engage in light conversation with him but had all steered well clear of any comment concerning the events of earlier that morning.

As everyone disembarked, They were greeted by the owner Andrew MacDonald, an old friend of Quatre's father, and now, of Quatre.

"Ach!, Is good te see ye again master Quatre!", spoke the oldish, grey haired man in a very broad Scottish accent, "Tis been a wee while!"

Quatre smiled warmly as they shook hands.

"Hello again Andrew, Good to see you again my friend. How's Mary? I trust she's well?"

"Oh, Aye, She be fine" he replied, "She's away today, she was sorry she was gonna missed ye."

"Well, I'm sure we can catch up another time" replied Quatre.

The Scottish man looked towards the Gundam gang all now milling around next to the vehicle.

"Well, I'm sure ye'll all be eager to get started." He commented, "Everything be ready as ye asked. Will ye be needing assistance with ye friends?"

Quatre shook his head slightly,

"I'm sure we can sort ourselves out, but thanks anyway"

"Aye, well, I'll leave ye to it then", he replied, turning to walk away "If ye need anything, I'll be arooound, jest come and find me," he said before heading off towards one of the many farm buildings.

"Come on then Guys, we're over here," said Quatre, leading the way towards a particularly large stabling area.

Moments later they were all stood on fresh smelling straw in the doorway of a huge, clean and well-lit barn. It was divided into individual stables around the inner walls with a large open area in the middle. Several large air-conditioning units mounted in the roof, purred quietly, keeping the temperature inside to a comfortable level.

"Wow, this is some nice stabling," commented Noin, "Are these all your horses Cat?"

Quatre nodded.

"Yes, there are fifteen in this barn and eight in the other one." As he spoke, he seemed a little distracted, scanning his eyes around the building to each of the stable doors, some of which had horses leaning out of them. He took a few steps inside. The others followed him in.

"Hanaan!... Hanaan!" Quatre called out gently using his Arabian accent.

Suddenly, an excited whinny could be heard from one of the horses on the far side of the barn. Moments later, a large white, and particularly spirited horse appeared at one of the stable doors. On sight of her, Quatre's face lit up with a beaming smile.

"Hanaan! There you are!" he gasped quietly as he hurried over towards her. The others followed curiously a little way behind him.

As he walked across the barn, the large beast seemed to recognise him. She danced and hopped excitedly as he approached until he reached her.

Saying nothing, Quatre very slowly reached out his hand. Instantly the beautiful beast calmed down, and became almost motionless, then gingerly began to inch her nose forward as if eager to meet with his touch.

The beaming smile never moved from Quatre's face as slowly, tenderly he rested his hand onto her nose. "Hello again old friend," he whispered as he began to stroke her, "Sorry it's been such a long time." He leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. The horse remained totally silent and still.

"Err, do you want us to leave you two alone?" asked Duo humorously, interrupting the reunion.

Quatre quietly chuckled and turned around to face the others,

"Sorry Guys, I just haven't seen her in a while. I really do miss her sometimes."

Noin stepped closer, reached out a hand and began to gently pet the creature,

"She's absolutely beautiful Quatre," she commented, "She looks like an Arabian."

Quatre nodded,

"She is," he replied, still gently rubbing his palm on her nose, "Most of my horses are Arabian."

"Is she your favourite, Quatre?" asked Sally.

Quatre nodded,

"She's my personal horse. Her name is Hanaan, it means Compassion. She's exactly the same age as me, we share the same birth date."

He reached up and rubbed her ears for a moment,

"She was given to me by my father when I was four, and we've literally grown up together." He turned round to face the others again and smiled clemently, "She's one of the family."

Hilde stepped forward and also reached out a hand up to the beasts nose.

"I've got to say Cat, I've never really been a horsy person, but she is gorgeous."

"She has the spirit of a true Arabian," added Quatre dreamily, "She can outrun the wind, yet, she has a heart as big as the ocean. She can be so gentle and good-natured. She's one in a million."

He leaned forward and pressed the side of his face against her nose,

"Don't worry Hanaan, I'll be back in just a short while," he whispered quietly to her, then pulled away, turning to face the others, now looking at him with mixed expressions. Quatre suddenly felt a little self conscious of his slightly over-the-top actions.

"Right then!" he suddenly grinned, realizing now was probably a good time to move on.

"Let's get you guys sorted out shall we?" he said with renewed sparkle in his voice.

He walked to the side of the barn and picked up a clipboard that had been left on a hook on the wall. On it was a sheet of paper telling him who had been assigned to which horse, and where each horse was located.

The others gathered around him.

"Ok, follow me guys" he said as they wandered towards the first stable.

"Noin, this is your assigned Horse for the day," he said still looking down at the information from his clipboard,

"This is Raad. He's an eight year old gelding, thirteen point two hands high."

As he spoke a chestnut coloured horse with a white stripe down his nose poked his head curiously out of the door and peered at the gathering of people.

"Hello boy," said Quatre reaching up and patting him gently, finally looking up from his clipboard.

"Raad means Lightening by the way. He's pretty fast, but not too boisterous. You think you'll you be able to handle him ok?" he asked.

Noin had a huge grin on her face as she looked up at the beast, "He's lovely Cat," she reached forward and stroked the tuft of hair on the beast's forehead, "Yeah, I think we'll get along just fine."

Quatre nodded, "Great! He's already been saddled up, so he's all yours, ready to roll!"

Noin opened up the stable door and lead the beast out into the open area where eagerly she climbed aboard.

"Ok, who's next" said Quatre looking down his list, "Ah yes, Heero!"

The group followed quietly as Quatre made his way to the next Stable along.

"I've heard some impressive things about your horsemanship from Relena, so I figured you'd get on just fine with our next introduction."

Duo chortled, "Introduction?! You make it sound like a dating agency Cat!" he commented.

Quatre looked up grinning,

"I suppose in a way it could be bit like that!" he chortled quietly, "I guess we're all about to go on a joint first date!"

They came to a halt outside the second stable. Another chestnut coloured horse peered curiously out of the door. She was fidgety, her head twitching and constantly moving about. She snorted loudly.

"Heero, meet Alhawa, your… 'date' for the day!" he grinned, "A thirteen year old mare. Fifteen hands high, her name simply means the wind. She's generally ok, but can be a bit of a handful to control at times, are you going to be ok with her?"

Heero took a quick look at her and then looked back to Quatre,

"Yeah, she'll do fine Cat," he replied, nodding in appreciation.

"Great! Another satisfied customer!" he joked as he ticked another box on his clipboard.

"Ok! Let's move on!"

He led the group along to the next stable and paused outside, gesturing for the others not to stand too close to the door. Inside, they could see a large, jet-black Mare. On hearing Quatre's talking she turned around, thrust her head out of the upper door and whinnied loudly, almost violently, bearing her teeth and snorting loudly. Several of the group jumped back nervously, they could almost see the fiery spirit swirling within her shiny dark eyes.

"Folks, this is Yatimah," continued Quatre, "All I can say is, if you value your lives, make sure you keep well away from her."

The others observed her some more from a cautionary distance.

Constantly, she fidgeted, whinnied and snorted. She was restless to the core.

Quatre sighed,

"It's such a shame", he commented, "She really is a beautiful horse, but she's just too impossible to control, She's so fiery, there's nobody within a hundred miles of here crazy enough to even attempt to ride her."

Quatre suddenly looked a little saddened.

"We've tried absolutely everything, but she just won't let anyone near."

He paused for a moment and sighed again,

"She's actually worth a fortune! She's a thoroughbred down to the very last gene, but unfortunately, it looks like we're going to have to sell her on."

"How much is she worth Cat?" enquired Trowa.

"I'm not exactly sure at this time, but we're talking several million."

There were gasps of surprise from the rest of the group.

"Are the others very valuable too Cat?" asked sally, now suddenly a little nervous at the prospect of being entrusted to an animal worth an entire lifetime's salary.

"Some of them are, but not all." He replied, "Hanaan, My own horse is also thoroughbred and probably worth a lot, but most of the others are fairly run-of-the-mill, oh, apart from Alhawa, Heero's horse, who also has a fairly distinguished background."

As he spoke, the horse in the next stable gave a loud whinny, drowning out Quatre's voice, almost as if telling him to get a move on!

Quatre grinned,

"Ok, Ok! We'll get to you in a minute Zameel!" he called out to the horse, at the same time looking amusingly to the others.

"Perhaps we'd better move on," he suggested. He wandered to the next stable and placed his hand gently on the grey and white horse's nose.

"Trowa, this is Zameel. His name means Friend, and he's been assigned to you."

As Quatre continued with the task of allocating horses to everyone, nobody seemed to notice the missing member of their group. As the others moved on, Fumio remained standing outside the door of Yatimah's stable.

He had been completely spellbound by her from the moment he saw her, and also, it appeared, she by him.

They stood there just looking at each other. By now the wild, fiery-eyed horse that everyone seemed so fearsome of had become quiet and calm, barely moving at all.

For a while she just stared down at the pint-sized boy, her towering size making him look and feel even smaller than he really was. Likewise, Fumio just stood there, a couple of steps from the door, staring up at her, mesmerized, and almost cricking his neck in the process.

"You're absolutely magnificent!" he gasped in quiet, whispered awe, "I sense the spirit within you… magnificent!"

Through the stable door, she very gingerly began to lean forward, lowering her head so her eyes became level with his. Her ears twitched slightly as she moved.

"What's up?" he whispered to her, "Oh, you want me to pet you, don't you?" he said hesitantly still in a whisper, a slight nervousness apparent in his voice.

The horse remained with her head lowered and gave a slight forced exhale of air.

"O… Ok… I'll make a deal with you" suggested Fumio quietly, "I'll pet you, but you have to promise not to eat me!" a slight nervous grin appeared on his face. "Do we have a deal?"

Yatimah just remained still.

Very slowly and gingerly, Fumio reached out his hand and moved it towards her nose. As he got close, she gently brought her nose forward to meet it.

A beaming, giggling smile appeared on his face as he gently began to stroke his hand over her glossy, warm, jet-black fur.

She lowered her head slightly further and he quickly realised she wanted him to rub her ears. He reached up and obliged, and she seemed to enjoy the fuss immensely as she turned and pressed her head further into his hands.

About five minutes later, Quatre was still allocating horses to the remaining group members. Several of the Gundam gang were already sat on their horses and milling around together in the open centre area of the barn, chatting and waiting for the others to be kitted up.

"Ok, Fumio, this is your horse..." said Quatre peering up from behind his clipboard,

"Err, Fumio?" The mini-monk was nowhere to be seen.

"So where did he disappear to then?" said Quatre. All heads began twisting around and scanning the barn for any sign of him."

"Fumio!?" called a couple of suddenly concerned voices.

"Err, I'm in here!" came the slightly echoed reply.

Instantly they realised his voice was coming from inside Yatimah's stable.

"Oh No!" gasped Quatre. Fearing the worst, he threw his clipboard to the ground and hightailed it towards the stable.

Thinking the boy was in trouble, there was a general scramble by the others as they all hurried towards the stable door, joined by those who had quickly dismounted from their horses.

"Don't worry Fumio!" called Quatre in a slight panic, "We're coming! Just hold on!"

Everyone reached the half-open door at about the same time and peered in.

A jaw-dropped silence instantly fell upon the group, followed by gasps of complete astonishment.

"I… I think she likes me!" came the response from the grinning monk.

Fumio was straddling the huge beast's back, holding onto her reins looking down at the group. He was sat bareback, no saddle, not even a fleece.

Yatimah was as calm and placid as a horse could be. Even with the group's sudden appearance at the door she remained totally unflustered as she stood there looking at the group, eloquently, proudly.

"I… I… don't believe it!" gasped Quatre, "I do not believe what my eyes are telling me! That's… that's impossible!"

"All evidence to the contrary Cat," suggested Heero Quietly.

"Wow! Fumio!" cooed Hilde, "Looks like you've made yourself a new friend there!"

Fumio nodded, and grinned again.

"I didn't do anything!" he insisted, "It was her that came to me!"

Quatre remained shaking his head in utter disbelief.

"She's never allowed anything like that before. It's been almost impossible to get a blanket on her, let alone someone riding bareback!"

"Hey Kid?" piped up Duo, "You ever heard of a guy called Dr Doolittle?"

Fumio pondered for a moment, the shook his head negatively.

"I don't think so. Does he live locally?"

A number of titters came back from the group.

"Why? Who is he?"

Duo grinned, shaking his head. "Doesn't matter… forget I asked."

Fumio shrugged, "Ok" he replied, oblivious.

He looked at Quatre. "Mr Quatre, I know you've already got me a horse organised, but do you think it would be possible to swap and take Yatimah out instead?" He patted the side of her neck as he asked.

Quatre still looked shocked. After a long pause he eventually answered.

"You know, ordinarily, that question would be making me very nervous indeed, but the crazy thing is, it isn't!" he replied scratching his head and running his fingers through his hair. He sighed. "Somehow, I just know you're going to be fine with her! Don't ask me how I know that, I just know!"

After agreeing to let Fumio take Yatimah out on the ride, and calming down a bit, everyone began to disperse as Quatre continued with the task of getting everyone kitted up with a horse. Some of the already-mounted riders stepped out of the barn and into the warm sunshine of the courtyard outside.

Fumio was able to get a saddle onto Yatimah without so much as a peep of protest from her. Once kitted up, he too climbed aboard and went outside to join the others in the courtyard.

As he stepped into the sunlight, Heero pulled up along side him.

"You had us all worried in there for a moment," he said dryly,

"I'm sorry," he replied, "It wasn't my intention."

"Don't be sorry Fumio", he pointed a convictionate finger at his kid brother, "Just be careful, you hear me? I don't want to have to explain to anyone that you've been injured."

Fumio nodded,

"I'll be good Heero, I promise" he replied.

"Good" continued Heero, his mouth now forming a slight smile as his serious mood lifted. He spent the next few moments silently looking at Fumio sat astride the large prized mare. It was an odd moment. He felt compelled to look down and admire the horses' marvellously glossy, jet-black coat, her long wild mane and deep, shiny eyes. Eventually he looked back up at Fumio, quietly feeling a deep-down sense of approval.

He sighed deeply, "Savour this moment Fumio," he added quietly.

Fumio looked at him.

"You're riding a multi-million buck Arabian charger. There is no finer horse on the planet. It's not something many people get to do during their lifetime. In a way, I guess I'm a little envious."

Fumio nodded subtly, understanding Heero's words. He thought to himself for a moment.

"Would you like to ride Yatimah instead Heero?" he suggested quietly,

"I could swap with you if you want. I'm sure she'll let you," he replied, "then you could have the chance to…"

"No! Fumio!" interrupted Heero, reaching a hand up onto his shoulder to stop him talking, "Just for one moment will you stop thinking about other people!" His voice sounding slightly irritated. "Just for once in your life, allow _yourself_ to enjoy something! This is _your_ treat Fumio, this is _your_ moment. It may never come again, so, just enjoy it."

Ten minutes later, the whole group were trotting their way along one of the narrow leafy green lanes that headed out towards the huge plains and forests disappearing to the horizon.

"How are you two getting on?" asked Quatre as he pulled along-side Duo and Hilde, the two non-riders of the group.

"Hey, this isn't as bad as I thought it would be!" chirped Duo excitedly.

"Yes, this is great fun Cat," added Hilde, "I don't know why I didn't do this years ago!"

Quatre had given them some basic tuition in handling the horses back at the stables.

"I told you there was nothing to it, besides, you've got two of the best behaved horses we have. We actually use them for rides at one of the annual children's events at the mansion, so they've got to be well behaved," He replied, looking ahead to Heero who was some ten paces on front of them. "Unlike some of the other horses." he commented.

Heero was having a bit of a battle keeping his horse in a straight line. It was obvious she didn't want to be walking so slowly. She was fired up and eager to run at the earliest opportunity.

Quatre turned back to Duo and Hilde. "I expect some of us will be going for a Gallop shortly, when we get off this narrow track," he commented, "Don't worry if you don't want to push things, just stay on the path. There's a big lake a few miles from here, we'll be stopping there for a rest and a bite to at. This path leads straight to it."

Duo nodded, "Well, I don't know about you Hilde, but I wouldn't mind having a go at a gallop myself." He looked at Hilde for a response, and to his surprise, she was nodding, agreeing to give it a try.

"Well, just remember what I said about standing up in the stirrups." called Quatre as he began dropping back to go and talk to Trowa who was a few paces behind.

"So why's that bit so important?" asked Duo.

Quatre grinned a knowing grin back at his friend, "You'll find out!" was the somewhat unrevealing reply.

The whole group was spread over a fair distance with Heero out at the front and Wufei bringing up the rear. Most had paired off and were chatting as they plodded their way along the path, a few were solo, just quietly following the others, admiring the view out across the plains and valley ahead and to the left.

One of those alone was Wufei. He'd made a point of staying out of the way of the others, hanging some twenty or thirty paces back from the next person in line, Noin.

After Duo had mentioned Wufei's apparent anger earlier that day, the others realised it was probably best to give him a wide birth, except one; Fumio.

Fumio was still deeply bothered that Wufei was giving him the cold shoulder, especially as it was over something that was completely untrue. He wanted to put his thoughts on the matter to one side and enjoy the day, allowing Wufei the rest of the day to cool off, but as the trek began, he quickly realised he couldn't do it. No matter how hard he tried to put it out of his mind, thoughts of the shocking event from that morning came nagging back at him. He knew he wouldn't be able to relax until he had set the record straight and settled their differences.

One by one, the others up ahead disappeared out of sight as the track entered into a tunnel-like canopy of hedgerows and trees. As Wufei eventually entered the shady canopy himself, he spotted Fumio sat on the black mare, waiting patiently by a gate entrance coming off the path. Wufei ignored him, and continued looking ahead as he passed, without saying a word.

Fumio unhurriedly walked Yatimah forward and came alongside the Samurai boy.

They walked silently for a few moments before Fumio leaned forward in his saddle and looked up sideways at Wufei's face, smiling slightly.

Wufei felt compelled to glance at him momentarily, then peeled his eyes ahead again. He remained silent, a stern look fixed on his face.

"Are you still mad at me? Wufei?" asked Fumio in a quiet, innocent voice.

Wufei did not reply immediately.

Although still seething inside, he felt a little disarmed by Fumio's gentle approach. It was not what he wanted, or expected. Eventually he answered,

"I have nothing to say to you." His voice monotone and flat.

Fumio remained quiet for a moment thinking about his next words.

"I was hoping we could talk."

Wufei glared at him.

"There is nothing to talk about!" he replied, his voice beginning to show irritation. He began to speed his horse up, pulling ahead from the boy,

"I expect you'd only manipulate me into saying things I didn't mean anyway!" he called back.

Fumio felt shocked again at yet more hurtful and unwarranted words. He watched Wufei as the distance between them increased. Part of him wanted to leave it there and walk away, but he knew he had to keep going. The longer he left it, the more Wufei would convince himself he was right.

"You do know, you've got it all wrong, don't you Wufei?" he called out, ushering his horse to catch him up, pulling alongside him again.

Wufei did not reply; he simply ignored him, staring forward.

"Wufei!", urged Fumio, his voice now growing more agitated. "This is so silly. We were such good friends! Why won't you even hear me out?"

Again, there was no reply.

"Wufei?"

No response.

"Wufei!" he tried again, the frustration in his voice now very obvious.

Wufei calmly slowed his horse and turned off to the left.

"What are you doing? Wufei?" asked Fumio bringing Yatimah to a standstill.

He observed as the Chinese boy carefully steered his way through the, now, sparse hedgerow, and crossed over the narrow ditch which ran alongside the path, emerging in the open field on the other side.

He looked back through the hedgerow at the boy.

"I've already told you Fumio, I have nothing more to say about the matter," he said bluntly, "I won't listen to your lies."

He drew up on his reins and dug his heels in, "HA!" he cried. The beast reared up lunged forward, galloping off at great speed across the open ground heading for the lower valley.

As he sat watching them gallop away, Fumio felt deeply frustrated and hurt. His frustration quickly turned to anger. He could feel it building up inside of him, rearing it's ugly head like a rumbling volcano getting ready to blow it's top. The reins in his small hands were being gripped tighter and tighter as his hands became clenched angry fists. His face grew redder and redder as the seething inferno within began to rage out of control.

As his inner fury grew, so did the restlessness of Yatimah. As if an invisible tether connected their minds, she could sense the growing trauma within him and it affected her dramatically. She began to fidget and step sideways, moving about. Her head began to twitch and nod, her nostrils flared and snorted, and her breathing quickened. She began chewing restlessly on the metal bit, causing her to dribble and foam at the mouth.

Fumio stared, enraged at the now, quite distant Wufei, still hurrying away.

Suddenly the volcano erupted.

"SINCE WHEN DID I BECOME A LIAR!!!!!" he abruptly bellowed at the top of his unbroken voice. It was an almost involuntarily action as the anger continued to consume him. His voice echoed back from across the valley.

All of a sudden he leaped into action. Quickly steering the now, semi-wild horse through the hedgerow, they leaped the ditch and took off after Wufei.

At full speed they rode. Somehow Yatimah seemed to be completely tuned into the moment, as if their minds were one. She knew what she had to do; to catch up with Wufei at any cost. With another snort and flair of her nostrils, she seemed to conjure up an incredible burst of energy from within taking them up to a speed that seemed to defy physics.

Fumio's perfect soldier skills were kicking in and coming back to him as he balanced masterfully on Yatimah's back as she continued to race like the wind.

From back on the path, many of the others had bunched together and stopped to observe the two racing figures heading down into the valley below them.

"Wow! Look at them go!" cooed Duo excitedly.

"My god! The speed Cat! Look at the speed he's going!" gasped Noin in astonishment as she watched.

Quatre was speechless, mouth agape. He had no idea Yatimah was capable of such power. Her legs moved so quickly they just became an invisible blur. Never in his life had he witnessed such an amazing phenomenon.

The rest of the group continued to watch as the two boys headed down and away from them into the distance leaving two individual plumes of dusty air as their mounts pounded the dry ground. Yatimah's deep glossy fur seemed to reflect in the sun like a mirror as she galloped. She was rapidly gaining in on Wufei.

"SINCE WHEN DID I BECOME A LIAR!!!!!" yelled Fumio again, still totally enraged, now just yards away from the leading horse, "SINCE WHEN DID I BECOME A LIAR?!!".

Wufei suddenly glanced back, a look of complete surprise on his face, not realising until that moment that he was being pursued.

"HA!" he called again, suddenly geeing up his horse to run faster, in an attempt to put some distance between them again. It was a pointless effort. Fumio came alongside him with ease. He looked sideways at the Shenlong pilot.

"I AM NOT A LIAR!!!" he yelled, now shaking his small angry fist at him.

"I'M NOT A LIAR!! YOU TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID!! YOU TAKE IT BACK WUFEI!!"

Wufei was looking a little rattled, he seemed unable to reply, visibly shocked at seeing Fumio's very out of character behaviour. Unable or unwilling to respond, he looked forward and continued concentrating on getting his horse to run faster.

Through the valley they ran at full speed, still observed by the other group members until they disappeared out of sight below the camber of the vast sloping plains. Two trails of dust became the only evidence of their position.

The horses' hoofs pounded the ground furiously as the wind blasted their faces and past their ears, which made it difficult to hear much else.

"ARE YOU GOING TO SPEAK TO ME AT ALL??!!" yelled Fumio angrily, "OR JUST CONTINUE TO IGNORE ME?"

Again, Wufei just kept facing ahead, concentrating on riding at speed, secretly wishing this wasn't happening. He was totally shocked at the small monks' reaction; it had left him completely unsure of how to respond.

"FINE! THEN JUST LISTEN!" continued Fumio, still yelling angrily. "YOU ARE TOTALLY WRONG WUFEI! THE MEDITATION RITUAL WAS EXACTLY HOW IT WAS! I NEVER USED MY POWERS IN ANY WAY TO EFFECT THE OUTCOME! IT'S SOMETHING I WOULD NEVER EVER DO!! AND I AM NOT A LIAR!! I'M TELLING YOU THE TRUTH!!"

Finally Wufei peeled his eyes to the side and looked back at the fuming boy,

"What about that thing with the deer? You can't possibly tell me that was a natural result of the ritual!!" he yelled back, sounding equally as angry.

Fumio looked him in the eye, suddenly understanding the focus of Wufei's frustration.

He thought about his answer carefully for a moment before responding.

"That was nothing to do with the Ritual!!" he yelled back, a little less angrily, "It was something entirely unconnected. And it was something I had no control over!!"

"So you admit it then? Your powers did influence me!" replied Wufei, still angrily.

Fumio nodded his head reluctantly, "But it's nothing like you think Wufei!" he pleaded, his anger suddenly fading more.

"It had absolutely nothing to do with the meditation ritual, and I was completely unaware of what my powers had done!" he reiterated again.

Wufei stared at him, looking entirely unconvinced.

"Look! Wufei!" explained Fumio, still yelling to make his voice heard over the wind and pounding hoofs of the horses,

"I've discussed this with Heero, and we both think that my powers had foreseen what was going to happen, you know, when I ran away that night."

Wufei continued to stare, still looking angry, analysing his every word, as if looking for another opportunity to take another verbal swipe at him.

"Wufei!" pleaded the boy,

"We think that my powers gave you the ability to find me when I was lost!"

The angry stare remained.

"Wufei! Don't you get it?!" yelled Fumio loudly in a desperate attempt to make him see the point,

"I could have died! If it wasn't for you, I might be dead now!!"

Wufei continued listening as they galloped, His negative expression very slowly began to ease.

"My powers saw that, and gave you the ability to find me!" continued Fumio, still yelling to make his voice heard, "But it never had the slightest influence on the ritual! That really was entirely down to you and me! All of it!"

As they continued their semi-aggressive argument, they had become so deeply engrossed, that neither had noticed they were reaching the edge of the plain and were approaching cultivated land again. A thick wooded hedgerow rapidly loomed up ahead.

Suddenly Wufei's attention was drawn to a shadow growing in the corner of his eye. He glanced forward suddenly spotting the branches of the dense hedgerow.

"Oh Crap! LOOK OUT!" he yelled, suddenly pulling up on the reins desperately trying to bring his horse to a halt before running into the dense thicket.

Fumio suddenly stared forward and instantly realised that impact was imminent. It was too late to stop, but Yatimah had other ideas. With another incredible burst of power she lunged forward and attempted to jump it as the small boy leaned forward and clung on tight for dear life.

Both horse and rider disappeared from view, and moments later there was a set of dull thuds as the huge beast made contact with the grassy ground on the other side and quickly came to a halt. Wufei had just managed to stop in time and was stood right by the hedge. He tried peering through and could partially see the glossy black mare standing there on the other side. He quickly realised she was minus her rider.

"Fumio!" called Wufei in a sudden anxious tone, "Fumio?!"

His words were met with silence.

Wufei quickly dismounted from his horse and began searching the hedge for a way through.

"Fumio!!" he called again, even more anxiously.

There was a pause,

"I didn't think you cared anymore," came a quiet, calm voice for the other side.

Wufei gave an audible sigh of relief.

"Of course I care you fool!" he replied in a thankful voice, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine… thanks," he replied quietly.

Realising the hedge was too dense to cross, Wufei finally gave up searching for a way through, and sat down on the warm grass, leaning his back against the thick foliage. Fumio had done the same on the other side.

They conversed through the hedge.

"Did you fall off?" asked Wufei.

"Sort of," replied Fumio, "When she stopped, I kind-of kept going for a while."

Wufei could hear the embarrassed grin in his voice.

"You sure you're ok?"

Fumio gave a slight giggle, "Yes, honest. Yatimah broke my fall with her head, so I kind-of just rolled gently onto the ground" he replied, "But she looks a bit miffed now. I think I hurt her feelings."

Wufei sighed again as he began the feel the tensions from earlier subside.

"You know, you had me worried for a minute, I thought you'd broken your neck or something. That was one hell of a jump." He said in a much more amicable voice.

"Sorry if I worried you Wufei san, and, and, I'm sorry for getting mad at you like that. It was wrong of me to loose my temper."

Wufei sighed and sat up,

"No Fumio," he said quietly, regretfully, "You're not the one at fault here. I am. I should be the one doing the apologising, not you."

He looked down at the ground solemnly.

"I've been an idiot," he uttered quietly, "I've been such a bastard."

Fumio gave a confused expression, "You mean that your parent's weren't married?" he asked innocently.

An slight grin forced it's way onto Wufei's face. He exhaled loudly, in a suppressed laugh.

"No, not that kind of bastard Fumio," he replied.

"What I mean is," he continued, his voice now serious again, "You had every right to be angry. I should never have said and done the things I did. It was completely out of line." He sighed deeply again, "Fumio, you've offered me nothing but kindness and friendship, and in return I've called you a liar and a manipulator, I've insulted everything that you stand for. I've even thrown the incredibly special gift you gave to me straight back in your face!" he began to sound annoyed with himself.

"Damn!" he cussed, "I can't believe I let it go this far!"

"I'm curious Wufei," spoke Fumio quietly,

"Why have you changed your mind now, when a few minutes ago you were still mad at me?"

Wufei drooped his head once more, "Because, I was never really that mad at you in the first place." he replied reluctantly. "I realised quite early on that I was probably wrong, even before we came out here today, but… but I'd kicked off something that I didn't know how to stop. I didn't know how to take back my words, or admit I was wrong. I was ashamed to admit I was in error, so it just sort-of, kept on going with it." He sighed again, "I don't know why I did that. It was so wrong of me." He paused, thinking for a moment, "You know what the worst part is?"

Fumio shook his head, "No."

Wufei sighed regretfully again, "When I saw you shaking your angry fist at me, it shocked me, It shocked me more than you can imagine. Hands of kindness like yours should not have to be raised as angry fists! Yet, that's what they'd become, and it was all my fault."

There was a long silence. Fumio had listened carefully and was contemplating Wufei's words, finally understanding how such an awful situation had arisen out of one simple failure to admit a mistake. He felt bad for him, and empathised with the self-inflicted shame he was now obviously pushing upon himself. Wanting to put an end to the situation once and for all, Fumio verbally extended an olive branch.

"You know, I'll forgive you in an instant, if it means we can be friends again." He said quietly.

He heard Wufei sigh deeply, "You would?" he replied, sounding surprised, "But what about the way I treated you?"

Fumio formed a slight grin, "Wufei, you're almost as bad as Heero when it comes to not being able to forgive yourself," he commented quietly.

"But still..." continued Wufei.

Fumio stood up and turned to face the hedgerow,

"Wufei, I totally forgive you, so come on, lets let it go!" he urged in a gentle whisper, "Let's move on and not speak about this any more, ok?"

Wufei reluctantly nodded. "Ok,"

"So, we're friends again right Wufei?"

"Fumio, our friendship was never an issue. There was never a time when I did not consider us to be friends, but I'm sorry if I gave you that impression." he replied, still with an air of regret in his voice. "I'd be happy for us to be friends for the rest of our lives."

Fumio smiled and seemed happy once again. "I'd like that too, very much."

For the first time in a long while, a genuine smile appeared on Wufei's face as he nodded subtly,

"Then... I guess we have a deal."

It was early evening when the group were finally climbing back aboard Quatre's Jeep for the return journey to the mansion.

It had been a wonderful event. Wufei and Fumio had well and truly buried the hatchet and went on to join the others for the rest of the trip. They all enjoyed a two-hour stop at the lakeside where refreshments were served by Quatre's butler who had travelled out to meet them in a landrover.

As one-by-one the others climbed aboard, Quatre, who was standing at the back door loading his saddle in, felt a presence behind him. He turned around to see Fumio standing there.

"Hey Fumio," he said clemently, "Did you enjoy yourself today?"

"I had a wonderful day Mr Quatre, thank you so much"

Quatre nodded and turned to close the rear door. When it was shut he turned around to see Fumio still standing there, watching him.

"So what's on your mind?" he asked.

Fumio cocked his head to one side and brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun, now sat fairly low in the sky.

"I wanted to ask you about Yatimah."

Quatre sighed, "I still can't get over how she took to you like that, it was truly amazing," he commented quietly. "What was it you wanted to know about her?"

"I wanted to know, what her name means?" asked the boy.

Quatre looked at him curiously, also cocking his head slightly to one side in subtle surprise.

"Why do you ask that?" he replied, suddenly seeming very interested in Fumio's question.

"I don't know really," he replied, "I just felt like I needed to ask, you never mentioned what it meant."

Quatre nodded his head subtly, understanding his curiosity.

"Well… her name…" he paused for a moment smiling slightly, "It means, orphan."

Chapter Twenty

Dark clouds loomed across the valley as the Winner Mansion embraced the night, and by eleven O'clock, a powerful thunderstorm was raging across the region. Most of the group had retired early that evening.

Not wanting a repeat of the events a few nights previous, Heero decided to wait out the storm in Fumio's room. He quietly crept in and settled down on one of the armchairs to the side of the room. There he slouched - half dozing, - half awake - making sure he was on-hand in the event that his brother decided to have another startled reaction and run off again.

Not long after settling down, Heero cracked open one eye as he heard the door to the room open quietly.

In the dim light from the table lamp on the far side of the room, he could see Sally creeping in. She didn't notice him at first. She quietly closed the door behind her and shuffled towards where he was sitting. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she suddenly spotted him.

"Heero?" she whispered, sounding a little surprised.

"What's up Sal?" he replied equally as quietly.

"Oh, I was just a bit worried, you know, after what happed the other night when it thundered."

Heero nodded and confirmed that he was there for the same reason.

She pulled up a chair and sat next to him. There they engaged in light, whispered conversation for several hours until the storm passed and Sally eventually went back to bed.

It was already light Heero awoke with a jolt after a dream-intense sleep. Taking a moment to get his bearings, he realised he was still sat on the chair in Fumio's room, and quickly noted that he'd been covered over with a blanket.

Still a little disorientated, his eyes glanced across the room to the bed. It was empty, the covers thrown open to one side. Suddenly his heart quickened as a flashback of two nights ago rushed through his mind's-eye. He sprang to his feet with urgency throwing the blanket to the floor.

"Fumio!" he suddenly called, looking anxiously towards the window.

"I'm right here Heero." came the quiet reply.

He span around to see Fumio sat cross-legged on the floor in the rear corner of the room. He was peering up from an old-looking book that he'd been reading for the past hour or so. Several small, lit candles sat on the floor around him. Heero sighed in obvious relief and immediately began to calm down, and then he felt his head begin to go dizzy after getting up too quick.

Fumio observed him, his expression calm but concerned. Heero glanced back towards the window, then wandered over to it and drew the curtains open. He peered wearily out at the new day.

"Heero, you look so tired, why don't you go and get a decent sleep?" suggested Fumio quietly.

Heero shook his head negatively, and then yawned.

"No, I'll be ok." He replied tiredly, still staring out across towards the distant mountains.

After mulling something over in his mind, Fumio eventually stood up and ambled over to stand beside his brother. He hesitated for a moment then leaned forward.

"Heero, is everything alright?" He asked in a whispered, concerned voice.

Heero peeled his eyes away from the view and looked at him.

"I was surprised to find you in here when I woke up." Continued Fumio. He reached up and gently gripped the upper arm of Heero's sleeve.

"Heero, you… you know you we can talk… about anything" he urged in a whisper, "If there's something worrying you, you know I will always do whatever I can to help."

A slight smile began to appear on Heero's, now more awake face.

"You really didn't hear a thing did you?" he said.

Fumio cocked his head to one side, "What do you mean? Hear what?" he asked.

"The thunder storm we had last night?" replied Heero.

"Thunder? What thunder? I didn't hear any thunder," replied Fumio.

Heero now had a large grin across his face.

"Fumio! It was a huge storm! You could feel it shake the foundations of the house, surely you must have been aware of it?"

Fumio looked blankly back at him.

Heero sighed and nodded.

"Well, Sal did say you looked totally out-of-it, I guess she was right."

"You mean Miss Sally was in here too?" asked Fumio now looking a little confused.

Heero explained that he and Sally had sat in his room throughout the duration of the storm, to keep an eye on him after what had happened two nights ago. Fumio nodded, finally understanding. He looked grateful.

Heero gave another sigh and turned to leave.

"Well, I'd better let you get on with your studies," he said, "But I'll tell you what, If you're up to it, we can do some sparing later if you want. I feel I need the practice."

Fumio smiled,

"I'd enjoy that, yes Heero," he replied nodding, "I'll look forward to it."

Heero nodded and headed off towards the door, but as his hand reached for the handle, he paused.

"It was kind of you to say what you did just now," he spoke in a subdued voice, still facing the door.

"I realize what it was you were thinking about, but there's no need to worry about me. I'm certain those dark days are well and truly behind me now."

There was a silent pause.

"I hope so too Heero," replied Fumio in a whisper.

Heero turned his head slightly and gave an appreciative nod, before leaving the room.

As the door clicked shut, thoughts of those 'dark days' lingered on in Fumio's mind. They were the only other times when he recalled waking up to find Heero asleep in his room.

It was some five months previous. Heero had only been living at the monastery for three weeks or so. But as the terrifying sounds of battle began to slowly fade from his mind, he started to sink into a dreadful low. He became gripped by a depression so deep, that at times it almost seemed to take away his will to live.

Fumio recalled that Lama Banai had told him this was a possibility. It was a common, well-known problem for soldiers after war; even the so-called perfect soldier couldn't be completely immune from it. He had explained that, with the guns silenced and the battles at an end, the mind of a soldier could be just as daunted and shocked by the silence as with the chaos of battle.

With unconditional support from his brother and many of the other monks at the monastery, Heero got over it quickly, but Fumio recalled that, for several days during the very lowest times, he had woken to find Heero asleep on the floor in his room. Although Heero never completely admitted it, Fumio knew it was because, during those dark days, he simply couldn't face being alone in the darkness.

As the thoughts of those dark times faded from his mind, Fumio felt thankful that they had not returned again.

It was around ten in the morning when Fumio finally emerged from his room. He had been disturbed by some strange sounds he'd heard coming from down the hallway. His curiosity finally got the better of him and he decided to investigate.

He quickly realized the sounds were coming from the mansions' gym.

As he approached the gym doorway, he could hear the voices of the others calling and shouting excitedly.

"Come on Duo! Is that the best you can do?!" came one voice, it sounded like Noin.

"Hey! Leave me alone! I'm pacing myself!" replied Duo in a grinning, panting voice.

Fumio stepped into the doorway to see the entire group stood around the battle-ring. It was a large, square, canvass area rather like a boxing ring, but without the rope walls. It sat about a foot off the ground and around its perimeter sat large, blue, vinyl covered foam landing mats and blocks. Above hung a large digital, computerised scoreboard.

In the rings' centre was Quatre and Duo, both wearing bright red protective head pads and what looked like martial-art-style boxing gloves. Quatre stood grinning, his hands resting on his hips peering down at a red-faced Duo who was slumped on his butt trying to catch his breath.

"You had enough yet Duo?" asked Quatre, smiling.

"Man! Have you been practicing or something?!" gasped Duo. "Damn! That was pretty quick! I mean, I could keep up with you for a while, but that last leg move, I didn't even see it coming!"

Quatre chuckled quietly and extended a hand out to help him up.

"I guess I have been practicing a lot lately, especially since I had this battle-ring installed. Maybe it was a little unfair of me to take you on like that."

Quatre hauled his dazed friend up on his feet again. Duo blinked widely several times trying to prevent the room from spinning. He began to sway slightly.

"Whoa!" called Quatre stepping forward and grabbing him in a supportive embrace,

"Well! I definitely think that's enough for today!" he commented, still in a slightly humorous tone. He helped Duo to the side of the ring and sat him down on one of the large foam blocks.

"Naa! I'll be ok!" protested Duo, "C'mon, just give me a minute and we'll go one more round."

Quatre shook his head

"Uh-uh! not today Duo," he shook his head. "You've had enough. This is supposed to be a friendly sparring match, not a battle!"

Hilde stepped in behind him and embraced her arms around his neck.

"Oh Duo, don't be such a Hero all the time!" she said, "Give it a rest for today, there's always tomorrow."

Duo sighed,

"I guess, maybe you're right." he nodded, finally conceding.

"I have to admit, you were pretty fast Cat," piped up Wufei, "I'm impressed. I wouldn't mind putting that speed to the test myself."

Quatre looked up at his fellow pilot and pondered for a moment.

"How about it Cat? You fancy going a couple of rounds?"

Quatre paused again, then finally answered.

"Sure Wufei, I'll give it a go."

The battle ring cleared and everyone stood around watching as Wufei and Quatre prepared to take up their stances. Fumio, now intrigued wandered in to the room and stood beside Sally.

"Hey! Morning Fumio." she greeted, smiling.

"Hey there Fumio!" came a number of other friendly greetings.

"You going to watch us compete?" asked Quatre.

Fumio nodded. "Sure" he replied.

"Hey, who's your money on Kid?" called Duo from the far side of the ring.

Fumio just grinned and shook his head. Whatever thoughts he had, he was keeping to himself.

The two pilots squared up in their stances and began.

Despite most of the others believing that Wufei had the upper hand in skill and experience, Quatre's speed was notable. It was clear to everyone that he had been practicing and was seriously giving Wufei a run for his money. It went on for a good while, both pilots using their skills expertly to avoid being struck and loosing. However, about three or four minutes into the fight, Quatre made his first, and last mistake.

It was a slightly misjudged forward lunge. Wufei instantly saw his opportunity, and a split second later, Quatre was flat on his back. Wufei Yelled loudly as he leaped and lunged downwards to deliver the final crushing blow to finish off his opponent. There was no time to counter. Quatre braced for impact, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes tight… but the impact never came.

A few seconds later, Quatre hesitantly cracked open one eye and peered up to see why it had all gone quiet. Wufei's clenched fist was sat motionless, barely an inch from his right temple.

Everyone sighed with relief and smiled, applauding briefly as Wufei helped his defeated friend to his feet.

"Hey that was pretty good you guys!" called Noin.

"Yeah, that was pretty intense," added Duo, "But impressive!" The others nodded, agreeing with the comments.

The two fighters stood and bowed respectively to each other, then hugged briefly.

"That was most enjoyable Cat, Thank you." commented Wufei bowing his head once more.

"You have improved considerably. A worthy opponent, I am at your disposal any time for a re-match".

Quatre smiled and looked a Wufei in surprise,

"Thanks Wufei, that's high praise indeed!" he replied, "I might take you up on that offer one day," he grinned, "But not today."

Wufei nodded, then turned to Heero who was stood next to Trowa, arms folded, quietly observing all that was going on.

"Heero?" Called Wufei, "You fancy going a round or two?" he asked, now in the mood for a slightly bigger challenge.

"Yeah, go on Heero," urged Noin, "I'd be interested to see how those perfect soldier skills of yours match up to Wufei's lifetime of martial arts training."

Heero thought about it for a while before answering.

"While I'm tempted by your offer, I'm afraid, for now, I'll have to decline." he replied dryly.

Wufei looked a little disappointed.

"Why's that Heero?" asked Duo, "You afraid he's going to beat you?"

Heero cast his eyes towards his brother who was stood across the room talking to Sally.

"Not at all, I already promised Fumio that I would practice with him today. It would be unfair to use up my energy fighting Wufei first," he replied dryly again, then turned to face Wufei again, "But I will accept your challenge for another day."

Wufei nodded, understanding Heero's situation.

"I'll look forward to it." he replied nodding his head in respect.

After Fumio had ran back to his room to change into the same fighting robes he had used to do the meditation ritual, he returned to the gym where Heero stood warming up. The others had stuck around to watch and cheer them on, even though most of them believed that it was a little one-sided.

Duo was sat on a foam block next to Trowa and Noin.

He leaned in towards the others.

"I guess Heero will have to hold back quite a bit if he doesn't want this to be over in five seconds," he whispered so as not to be overheard.

"I wouldn't be so sure," replied Noin, also in a whisper. "Don't forget that Fumio has had the same training as Heero, this could be interesting to see."

Duo shook his head, disagreeing.

"Doesn't matter", he replied, "Fumio just doesn't have the body mass to fight back effectively. The kid is so tiny and light he could blow away in a gust of wind!"

"I disagree Duo," commented Wufei who was stood behind them. "Size and weight are just single factors of many other factors. His agility alone could give Heero a hard time, and his speed is phenomenal. I agree with Noin, this could be interesting."

A few minutes later and the boys were ready to begin. They bowed deeply to each other then took their stance. As the practice match got underway, it quickly became apparent that the majority of Heero's moves were offensive, whilst most of Fumio's were defensive.

The minutes progressed, and Heero started to look slightly frustrated that he hadn't been able to connect one single time with his opponent. Every time he attacked, Fumio tactics would be to counter with either a block, or evade the move altogether and then follow through with a strike, gradually weakening and wearing down his opponent. As time moved on, the moves began to get faster and more powerful as the two brothers danced and dived furiously around each other, each totally focused on the moment.

Eventually Heero saw an opportunity and went for it, knocking Fumio to the ground, but as he followed through with his strike, Fumio immediately leaped up, span round, and with an almighty yell, struck sideways with his arm.

They came to an abrupt halt.

They stood silently like statues, as if someone had taken a snapshot of them in mid-fight, until, suddenly, with a groan, Heero collapsed in a heap.

As He fell away, Fumio remained motionless for a moment and everyone could see that his extended fist had planted itself firmly into the side of his Heero's neck. He had literally taken him down in one well-placed blow.

There was a momentary silence before gasps of shock echoed around the room.

"He won!" gasped Sally and Hilde simultaneously. "He beat him!"

"Well I'll be!.." uttered Wufei, with a large grin on his face, "Now that's something I didn't think I'd see!" he spoke quietly to nobody in particular.

Suddenly, Fumio's concentration broke, as if waking from a daydream. His expression changed from that of intense concentration to a look of concern, and some regret. He rushed to Heero's side and dropped to his knees.

"Heero! Are you ok?!" he asked urgently.

Heero had a hand pressed against his neck in obvious pain. He looked shocked. He coughed, and then nodded, gesturing to be left alone for the moment, and not for anyone to make a fuss.

"I'm alright, just give me a moment," he gasped, coughing again.

Fumio bit his bottom lip as a look of "Oops!" formed on his face.

"I'm really sorry Heero, I really didn't mean to hit you that hard!" he insisted, "I must have misjudged that by at least an inch." Fumio held his small clenched fist out in front of him and scanned his eyes over it. He looked confused.

"I don't understand how I did that!" he commented Quietly, "I was absolutely certain I would only make light contact."

Heero was recovering quickly. He shook his head, disagreeing.

"Don't worry yourself about it Fumio" he coughed again, "You won that fair and square, in fact, that was a damn good move, I should have anticipated it, but the truth is, I didn't even come close."

Heero turned and sat upright, taking a few deep breaths.

Sally wandered over to check if he was ok, by which time he was already climbing to his feet.

"No, I'm ok, Really" gestured Heero with his hands, "I'm fine now."

He looked at his brother whose guilty expression had increased. Finally, Heero forced a grin.

"I can see I'm gong to have to work a lot harder in future, if I am to have any hope of staying ahead of you!" he commented, "That was an incredible move Fumio," he insisted, "It completely took me by surprise. Well done!" Heero bowed respectfully.

To his surprise, Fumio did not return the bow. He still seemed a little mad at himself for his mistake.

"How can you be praising me when all I did was mess up?" he asked.

"Because you didn't mess up Fumio!" insisted Heero. "Even if you hadn't hit me so hard, I still did not anticipate your move - the fight was yours whichever way you look at it."

Fumio looked up at him, he did not look convinced. "But still…" He replied, "It would have been better if I hadn't hit you so hard"

Heero grinned again

"I already said, don't worry about it. And to think, it was you who was moaning at me the other day about putting myself down all the time." he commented humorously.

As Fumio began to realise the quirk of fate, the sides of his mouth finally began to turn upwards slightly.

"That's better," said Heero.

Fumio said nothing, but stepped closer. He leaned forward, and pressed his forehead gently onto Heero's chest for a moment, before moving away and sitting down on one of the foam blocks next to Duo.

He remained preoccupied with why he had misjudged his final strike. It was something he did not do often, and he began to grow worried that it could create a whole bunch of problems for the future. He could not afford for his skills to become unreliable.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his drooped shoulder. He looked up sideways to see Wufei standing next to him.

"Fumio, show me that final move again will you?"

"Err, sure Wufei" he replied quietly.

Wufei gestured for him to go back onto the battle-ring, which he did. The others cleared out of the way again. Wufei moved into a stance and braced his hands out in front of himself.

"I want you to start from a side-on position, just like you did with Heero. Go as fast as you can and stop as close as you can to my hands, but don't actually touch them."

Fumio nodded, understanding what Wufei was asking. He got into his stance. With a leap and another almighty yell, Fumio gave it his best try, spinning around and lunging forward with the strike.

There was a loud slap as Fumio's fist came to a halt hard against Wufei's hands. The impact was so hard that Wufei needed his elbows had to absorb the shock. Fumio froze for a moment, then a look of total confusion slowly developed on his face. He pulled his fist away and looked almost despairingly at it.

"Why?!" he uttered angrily at himself, "Why am I misjudging this move so much? don't understand this!"

He looked up at Wufei who now had an oddly smug expression.

Fumio frowned, then paused, scrutinising the look on the Chinese boy's face.

"Wait a minute!" he whispered, "You… you knew that was going to happen, didn't you?"

Wufei nodded.

"But how?!" asked Fumio, almost pleading for an answer, "What am I doing wrong?"

"Actually, you're not doing anything wrong Fumio. In fact, your form is flawless."

"So why am I missing the target?" he pleaded more.

"Let me ask you this," continued Wufei, "When was the last time, that you seriously practiced that specific move?"

Fumio thought to himself for a moment.

"Hmm... It's a rare move, I don't use it that often, I guess it was several weeks ago when I last practiced with it."

Wufei nodded, he had suspected as much.

"Then the answer is a simple one," continued Wufei, a slight grin on his face, "Fumio, you're growing!"

Fumio just looked at him blankly.

"I estimate that in the past few weeks, since you last practiced that move, your arm has grown by several millimetres."

"Of course!" suddenly piped up Sally who had been quietly watching along with the others. She recalled back to her lessons whilst training as a doctor, "As the body grows more quickly during adolescence, it takes a while for the brain to compensate for things like longer arms and legs. It's why teenagers often get a reputation for being clumsy."

Wufei turned to her, "That's exactly my point," he replied. I've seen this happen many times before.

Sally continued, "When you reach for something, say, a glass of water, your brain remembers your arm being shorter than it actually is and so will cause you to over-reach."

Fumio was quietly nodding, taking on-board the spontaneous biology lesson.

"All you have to do Fumio, is bear this in mind when you practice and compensate accordingly" instructed Wufei.

Fumio nodded again, finally understanding the route cause of his frustration.

Wufei continued,

"I suggest you practice with all of your less-used moves. It will enable you to..."

Wufei stopped mid-sentence. "What's that bleeping noise?" he asked.

All eyes were scanning curiously around the room as a muffled, electronic bleeping tone began emanating from somewhere. The bleeping got louder as Noin pulled her mobile communications device from her pocket. She looked nervously at the others,

"This could be what we've been waiting for," she spoke softly, before flipping open the device and holding it to her ear.

"Hello?" there was a pause. The entire room went silent as all eyes fell on her. She sat down on one of the foam blocks.

"Yes", another pause came as she listened intensively to whatever she was being told.

Moments later, she lowered the device from her ear and slowly clicked it shut. She looked a little distant as if trying to fathom something out.

"Was that them?" asked Heero quietly, breaking the silence. She nodded.

"It was a little more cryptic than I was hoping," she replied, "He didn't give much away."

"What did he say?" asked Heero.

Noin looked him in the eye.

"Expect a delivery tomorrow." she replied.

"That's it?" asked Duo sounding a little confused, "Just 'expect a delivery tomorrow'?" he added, "Didn't they mention whether they'd located the blueprints or anything?"

Suddenly Fumio's ears pricked up.

"Blueprints?" he thought out loud, "Blueprints? Do you mean _my_ blueprints? Do you mean you've located the blueprints to my training program?" he gasped excitedly, "You mean Lama Banai can fix all that bad reaction stuff in my head now?"

Questioning eyes looked at each other across the room as everyone quickly realised Heero had not told Fumio what they were doing. He obviously didn't want to get his brothers' hopes up, only for them to be dashed if the location attempt failed.

Noin suddenly glared at Duo,

"Way to go Duo!" she whispered annoyingly.

Duo's expression turned to instant regret as he realised what he'd just done.

"Miss Noin?" continued Fumio excitedly, not hearing her negative comment, "Is it true?" he stood up and approached her.

Noin sighed deeply. She reached forward and took him gently by the hands,

"Fumio," she sighed again, uncertain of the best way to respond to his question. Quickly she decided the safest policy was to play it down.

"Fumio, nothing is ever certain in life. We've done some digging around, but that's all. You already know that it's unlikely those blueprints will be found."

Fumio looked disappointed. He reluctantly nodded.

"I know," he whispered.

"This is just a very minor lead, nothing more. Now, I want you to promise me that you won't go getting your hopes up over this."

Again Fumio nodded, still looking disappointed,

"Ok miss Noin. I promise."

Chapter Twenty-One

By ten O'clock the next morning, it had become a waiting game.

Heero hadn't slept much that night, neither had Fumio. Despite Noin's obvious playing down of this potential breakthrough in the search for his training blueprints, he realised there really was a possibility that they had been located and were going to be delivered that day. Even with promising Noin he would not get his hopes up, he couldn't help but remain eagerly optimistic.

Most of the group were sat in the lounge when the knock at the door finally came.

About a minute later, the lounge door opened and Quatre showed in a mysterious looking character.

"Guys, this is Yoshiyuki San," he said, introducing the man to the group.

He was a fairly tall man, of Japanese origin. He was in his late forties and wore dark, almost official-looking clothes, clean polished black shoes, black trousers and a large black, cloak-like Macintosh covering a dark plain shirt. His face was thin. His eyes clear and focused. Many of the group quietly realised that this was no ordinary man.

Heero's instincts were telling him to be cautious. He discreetly pressed his back against the cushion of the seat to make sure the sidearm he had strapped there was still safely in place, then sat forward ready to act should the need arise.

The man scanned his eyes around the room at the group; he seemed to hesitate momentarily when he saw the two brothers. Heero was quick to note this, as was Wufei.

"Good morning," spoke Yoshiyuki politely, in a kind voice. A slight smile sat on his face. "I believe you have been expecting me."

Instantly Heero's concentration was focused.

"I know that voice, I'm sure of it!" he thought silently inside his head, "Those eyes, that look. There's something very familiar about this man, but what? I can't quite seem to recall."

Several of the group returned the greeting with nods and gestures.

Under his arm the man carried a black, zipped document wallet. He slipped it out from under his arm and began to unzip it. Meanwhile Quatre had pulled him up a chair, which he happily moved over and sat down on.

"I have been authorised to pass on this document to you," he said, still unzipping the bag. His voice seemed to change to a more official, authoritative tone. "I understand you have been searching for this for some time."

He withdrew the document and placed the bag on the floor. As he did so, all eyes were focused on what he was doing. Meanwhile, no one seemed to notice Fumio slip silently away to the far corner of the room.

The man sat the document on his knees. It was an A4 sized book about an inch in thickness. Everyone could see the words 'Top Secret' stamped on the front cover.

"This is actually not the original document," he continued. "I can confirm that the original was destroyed during the war, however," he paused for a moment, "We know of a 'safe place' where electronic backup files are kept of all important data concerning anything of global interest."

His words were met with a number or raised eyebrows. There was a general feeling that this was a highly intelligent man. Just the sense of presence he seemed to radiate, told the observer that he knew things, he knew a _lot_ of things.

"We were able to generate a new copy", he continued, his voice suddenly seeming to loose its authoritative edge, "It should be identical to the original."

The man leaned across and handed the document straight to Heero, looking him in the eye as he did so.

Heero nodded appreciatively.

"He did that on purpose," thought Heero silently to himself as he leaned forward and took possession of the booklet, "He knows who I am! but how? How did he know to hand it to me?"

He thought hard, trying to recollect why or how he knew this man, or had at least where he had encountered him before. The others had also begun to grow suspicious, although nobody said anything out loud. They all realised this man knew who Heero was.

As Yoshiyuki began to speak some more, Sally glanced round to where Fumio was sat. She was intending to give him a grinning thumbs-up, to confirm that things were about to get a whole lot better for him, but his seat was empty.

A look of slight confusion sat on her face as she scanned her eyes further back into the room to see where he had gone. She spotted one of his sneakers poking out from behind a piece of furniture in the farthest corner of the room. A slight gin appeared on her face for a moment, thinking he was playing some sort of game. She quietly stood up and approached, but as he came into view she quickly realised this was no game.

Fumio had huddled himself into the small gap in the corner of the room between a large piece of furniture and the wall. He was trembling and shaking, cowering like a cornered animal.

"Fumio?" she said, urgently crouching down to him. "Fumio what's the matter, what's wrong?"

The rest of the group began to twist around to see what was going on. Heero stood up, followed by some of the others. The man remained seated, observing.

"Fumio!" called Sally again, her voice now very concerned. Fumio's breathing was rapid and panting, his stare fixed out ahead. He didn't respond to Sally's call.

"What's wrong?" urged Noin rushing over.

"I'm not sure" replied Sally,

"Fumio! Fumio!" She tried again to get a response but the boys' eyes remained fixed ahead, staring into nothing.

"Is this the same as what happened before?" asked Quatre urgently.

Sally grabbed the mini torch on her key ring and shone it into each of the small monk's eyes.

"No, it's worse than before," she commented, "But this is definitely some kind of conditioned response."

By now the rest of the group were stood up and looking concernedly towards the boy. Yoshiyuki, who had been sat quietly observing finally stood up and stepped forward a few paces.

"Is the lad alright?" he asked in an unruffled, but concerned voice, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

As the man approached, Fumio seemed to go into a frenzy, desperately trying to back himself further into the corner, almost trying to burrow his way through the wall to get away.

Instantly, Sally put two and two together. She stood up and span around gesturing for the man not to come any closer.

"I don't know how, or why, but I think it's you who seems to be the cause!" she said, her voice suddenly sounding annoyed.

Sally's words jarred a brief flashback in Heero's mind.

Suddenly, he stared coldly at the mysterious man.

"Wait a minute!" he gasped, "I thought there was something familiar about you!" he spoke in a loud, dry voice, "You! you were one of them! weren't you?" he demanded, pointing a convictionate finger at him. The room fell silent.

"One of who? Heero?" asked Duo.

"You were one of the Foundation assassins!" continued Heero, still pointing.

Before the man even had the chance to respond, two blurred figures rushed past Heero's eyes, and moments later, three bodies went crashing to the floor. Duo and Wufei had the man pinned down.

"So! You're one of those scumbags who thinks it's ok to torture little kids in the guise of training?" demanded Wufei, his hands around the mans throat, yelling into his face,

"That boy's life has been ruined because of what you, and others like you did to him!!"

Despite his, now apparent, skilled fighting abilities, Yoshiyuki just lay there, not even attempting to resist. He stared back at Wufei, their faces just a few inches apart. As they stared, Wufei momentarily saw something in the man's eyes. It was an unquestionable look of remorse.

It disarmed him slightly, until visions of the time when the assassins beat Fumio into a coma entered his mind to re-fuel the anger once more. Through grit teeth, Wufei began to press his thumb into a pressure point on the mans throat.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't end your life right now!!" he demanded.

Finally, Yoshiyuki gave a subdued response.

"The… the fireplace!" he gasped, choking from Wufei's grip around his throat,

"H…Heero Yuy! Remember the incident! The fireplace!!" he strained to turn his face towards Heero.

"The fireplace? What's he talking about?" commented Duo, still assisting Wufei in holding the man to the floor.

Heero suddenly closed his eyes and gave a tired sigh as further memories were brought back to him.

His shoulders drooped slightly.

"Let him up Wufei" he said in a quiet voice.

"But Heero!!" yelled Wufei, "He's one of those bastards responsible for all the suffering you and Fumio went through!"

Heero sighed again and subtly shook his head.

"No, he's not" came another subdued reply.

"But Heero!" urged Wufei again.

"Just let him up Wufei" he reiterated, "It's alright, he is not a threat"

"But…" Wufei's grip on the man's throat began to ease.

"Just let him up!" Heero's voice was now a little more firm.

Reluctantly Wufei and Duo got off the man and hauled him onto his feet again.

Wufei stood right next to him.

"I'm still not letting you out of my sight!" he commented, "And if you think you can try to scare or intimidate me, like you've done to that boy, then think again!"

"Just let it go Wufei," urged Heero again, hearing his comments.

Wufei looked back at him in a confused expression, not understanding how he could be so unthreatened by this mans presence.

Meanwhile, sally was desperately trying to coax Fumio back but was having little success. She turned to face the rest of the group. She looked worried. The professional doctor's 'calm', which usually prevailed in situations like this was nowhere to be seen.

"Guys!" she spoke, her voice was urgent and flustered.

"Look! he's having some kind of flashback. All the time you are arguing and fighting with each other, you're just pushing him deeper and deeper into it, making it harder to bring him back! Right now I don't care whose to blame I just need everyone to leave this room. Right now!"

There was a moment's silence before Quatre took the initiative.

"You heard her! Come on! Everybody out! Lets go!" He yelled in the most commanding tone he could muster. "We'll move to the kitchen."

Without further question, everyone quickly filtered out of the door, doing as Quatre ordered.

They reached the kitchen. Wufei still had a hold of Yoshiyuki San, he'd literally frog-marched him there.

"No matter what Heero tells me, I will still see you as an enemy," he said sternly, "I must admit you had a lot of guts coming here like this, especially after it's now obvious that you knew that Heero and Fumio would be here. Just bear in mind that if he is damaged in any way by this, I will still have no hesitation in ending your life."

Heero's assumption was correct. Yoshiyuki was indeed an ex-assassin of the foundation and was highly skilled in fighting, but even when his very life was threatened, he never once attempted to fight back, or even defend himself. Although not a permanent fixture, the look of remorse kept returning to his face.

"Wufei, I won't ask you again" said Heero dryly, "Just let the man go, and calm down. I told you before, I do not believe he poses a threat."

Wufei pulled out a chair out from the kitchen table and forced the man to sit on it. Then he approached Heero.

"Not a threat!!" he raised his voice, "Heero! Just the sound of that guy's voice made Fumio totally loose it and freak out! Damn it Heero! Don't you get it?! I don't think I've ever seen such a look of fear on someone's face before, and it's made me understand the true extent of the hell that you were both forced to endure." Wufei span round and pointed at the man,

"So how can you expect me to be calm and accepting when THERE sits the very reason for all of that suffering, right there, him! and the others like him!"

Heero sighed.

"As I said before, he is not who you think he is. You're barking up the wrong tree Wufei."

"But, But you said he was one of the assassins," replied Wufei, in a tone of voice demanding an explanation. He suddenly paused, thinking back to earlier,

"Wait a minute, he said something about a fireplace?" his voice began to calm slightly, "What did he mean by that? What was this fireplace incident he referred to?"

Heero sighed again as he cast his mind back to those painful times during the assassin attacks. He pulled out a chair and sank into it on the opposite side of the table to Yoshiyuki.

"There was an incident, actually, there were a number of incidents which made me realize that not all of the assassins were against us." He said quietly.

Wufei calmed down some more; he too pulled out a chair and sat down next to the man to listen.

"The fireplace incident was one of the reasons I was able to make it through the training without loosing my mind, like Fumio did."

The rest of the group, who were all milling around close-by, listened carefully.

"So what happened?" asked Noin.

Heero explained,

"It was a pretty intense attack that night. We were outnumbered by about ten to one. I'd managed to escape into another building and was hiding out in a downstairs room when one of them found me."

Heero sat his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hands for a moment, as the memories grew stronger and more impacting.

"We fought for several minutes. It was one of the hardest fights I can remember from those days. I tried everything I knew, but this guy just wouldn't stop. Eventually he wound up throwing me against the large fireplace that was in the room. I smashed my head against it and blacked out for a few seconds. By the time I came-to, the assassin had grabbed a heavy iron poker from the side of the fireplace and was about to smash it across my head."

A look of varying degrees of abhorrence appeared on the faces of the others.

"It sounds like he could have killed you Heero." Suggested Trowa, finally speaking for the first time in a while.

Heero looked at him and nodded.

"I thought it was all over. After blacking out, it was all I could do just to hold my arms up to protect myself, but then, in the darkened room I saw another figure creeping up behind this man. Suddenly my attacker was rendered unconscious, and as he fell to the floor, and I saw another assassin standing behind him. He crouched down and spoke to me. I was still a little dazed from blacking out, but I will never forget those words;

He said "We must hurry if you are to avoid the others."

Heero peeled his eyes back to the man sat opposite him.

"It was your voice that delivered those words that night."

After a long pause, the man reluctantly nodded.

Heero continued to look the man in the eye.

"He asked if I could walk. I couldn't. So he helped me up and found a place to hide me, before redirecting the searching assassins away from my location."

Heero ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I think, that one act of mercy alone, could have changed the course of history as we know it."

Wufei still remained sceptical. He suddenly struck his fist against the kitchen table,

"Heero, I hear what you have said, but this man can't possibly be the person you referred to, otherwise why would Fumio have reacted to him so badly?"

Heero looked back at him,

"I don't believe Fumio fear's him personally, only what he represents, or rather, represented."

Wufei cussed and folded his arms,

"But I still don't get it! Why? Why show up now? Why all these years later?"

This time it was Noin's turn to thump her fist on the table.

"How could my contact have been so foolish!" she spoke angrily, "Why would he send a ghost from the past, to re-open the wounds that you two have been trying so hard to close? How could he do such a damaging thing?"

Yoshiyuki, who, up until now had remained mostly silent, cleared his throat and finally began to talk.

"You should know that your contact was reluctant to send me. You must not blame him. It took a lot of persuading to get him to give me this assignment."

The man's voice was calm and quiet, but his tone was that of a disillusioned soul, saddened and tired of life.

"It… it is most regrettable that the boy responded to my presence in the way that he has." Continued Yoshiyuki remorsefully, "You have to believe that it was never my intention for anything like that to happen. I am so very sorry. It only goes to reinforce upon me the damage that I have done."

"Well hey-whoopee-do," remarked Duo in a sarcastic, annoyed voice, "The guy just discovered the true consequences of his work." His tone suddenly grew angrier, "But he had to inflict yet more suffering even to find that out! Hey! If you've come here looking for some kind of absolution, then you're way too late for that buddy-boy! The God of death is watching you very closely, and believe me, he's not impressed!"

Yoshiyuki looked sorrowfully at the table and sighed.

"My life is of no significance. It finished the day I joined the Foundation. By ending it, you would be doing me, and the rest of the world a great service."

"Uh?" gasped Duo seeming a little taken aback by the man's submissive reply.

"All I can do now is to live out my life trying to un-do as much of the damage and suffering that I and my so-called colleagues have caused." He continued dejectedly.

"Is that why you requested the assignment to come here today?" asked Noin, now in a more compassionate tone. The man looked up at her, nodding.

Heero sat back in his chair and sighed. Part of him was still quietly fretting about Fumio, but he knew he was in Sally's safe, proficient hands. He had seen Fumio endure many of these flashbacks in the previous months and was confident that he would be ok. He was also relieved that, now the blueprints had been recovered, Lama Banai back at the monastery would now be able to cure Fumio completely of these troublesome response problems once and for all.

Eventually he spoke to the man.

"I don't understand how your coming here is supposed to help un-do anything?" he said, "What happed, happened, we can not change the past."

The man nodded, "That is true, but there is a lot of information you don't know, especially about the foundation assassins, as you so aptly called them. It is my hope that by filling in the blanks, you will able to have a fuller understanding of why things happened the way they did during those terrible times. I hope that with such knowledge, you will both be able to move forward with your lives more easily."

"You know, after all you've said, I'm still reluctant to believe you!" stressed Wufei, "I still think this could be some kind of a trap or a set-up. Has anyone actually frisked this guy for a weapon?"

"No, He's really telling the truth Wufei," came a small, trembling voice from the kitchen doorway.

"Fumio!" peeped Noin excitedly as she rushed over to him. "Oh thank goodness!" she gasped as she quickly pulled him into a firm hug.

"Hey!" called Duo, cracking a smile for a second, then looked serious again, "You ok now kid?" he asked

Fumio nodded.

"Thank you," he replied peering from over Noin's shoulder as they embraced.

The rest of the group gave visible expressions of relief as the boy eventually entered the room and stood on the opposite side of the table to Yoshiyuki, next to Heero.

"You ok?" asked Heero quietly.

Fumio looked at him for a moment and nodded appreciatively, before peeling his eyes towards Yoshiyuki.

They looked at each other. Fumio could clearly see the sorrow in his eyes, and feel the genuine regret his soul seemed to be emitting.

"You've no reason to fear me child," said the man in a subdued, kindly voice.

Fumio nodded.

"I know." he replied in a whisper.

"But you're still shaking," said the man, observing the boy's still badly trembling stance and erratic breathing. "You look completely terrified. Is… is it really my presence that makes you experience so much terrible fear?" he asked.

Sally walked over and stood behind Fumio, placing a hand on each of his shoulders.

"What you're seeing, this trembling and erratic breathing," she explained, "Is the result of an intense mental conditioning. It has such a hold on him, that it's taking every last ounce of his willpower just to be able to stand here in front of you without lapsing into the state he was in a few minutes ago."

The anger and stress in Sally's voice was obvious, even though she was trying hard to suppress it.

She continued, "This response to your presence is as automatic and normal to Fumio, as blinking and breathing is to any of us. It is so ingrained into his mind, it could take a lifetime of therapy to rid him of it."

As she spoke, a single tear rolled down Yoshiyuki's right cheek. Sally continued in her stern tone, ignoring his obvious remorse.

"Despite my advising against it, he insisted on coming in here and facing you. So why don't you just hurry up and say what's on your mind and then leave us alone?"

Yoshiyuki looked desperately regretful at the trembling boy.

"I… I never realized it had been taken so far to the extreme. I don't know what to say, I'm shocked, words fail me. The damage is so much greater than I ever realized." He whispered quietly.

Suddenly he took a breath, then sat upright.

"Yes… yes, of course. I don't want to cause anymore suffering than I already have. My reason for coming here was pretty much what I've already said. To try to undo some of the damage, to right some of the wrongs by filling in the blanks, of the knowledge you have about the past, so that you can move on more easily."

"Look," Heero sighed again. "I understand why you would think that, but I'm not sure digging around in either mine or Fumio's pasts will make things better. I think some things from the past are just best left alone and forgotten, but there is one thing I do want to know"

"Anything," replied the man.

"I want to know why you helped me that night, and then all those other times afterwards?"

Yoshiyuki nodded, understanding Heero's need to know. Fumio slipped quietly on to the chair beside His brother to hear the reply.

Yoshiyuki continued, "When they told us that we were to be testing the fighting abilities of highly trained soldiers, we didn't think for one moment they meant we would be fighting children. I can tell you it was quite a shock the first time we encountered you. At first we thought it was some kind of sick joke, but soon the reality struck home."

Yoshiyuki shuffled forward in his chair. The look of sorrow remained in his eyes.

"Several of the assassins protested but were immediately re-assigned to duties on distant colonies, we never heard from them again. Although many of the assassins simply accepted it and got on with the assignment, there was a group of us who simply couldn't tolerate what was being asked of us.

However, we realised that if we complained, we would just be shipped off to other assignments and the attacks would go on regardless, so, instead, we each agreed to go along with the program, but to assist you discreetly in any way that we could. The incident with the fireplace was the first of such assistances."

The man sighed deeply again, and continued.

"It wasn't easy, especially as some of the other assassins outside of our group seemed to be actually enjoying it. It was sickening to hear them talking in the deployment transporters before a mission, about how badly they intended to harm both of you. There were a number of truly evil characters amongst them, including the one who nearly killed you Heero, at the fireplace, and the ones who put Fumio into a coma that time towards the end, when he refused to fight back."

The man cast his saddened eyes towards Fumio.

"I am so sorry that we were unable to help you on that night." He whispered, his eyes still glazed.

"Our numbers were randomly chosen to attend each mission. It seems a cruel twist of fate that none of our group was chosen that night. When… When we heard what had happened, some of our group were actually planning to kill the evil ones who did it, but by then, your attackers had already been sent to other assignments."

The man finished speaking and the room stayed silent for a few moments as everyone took on-board what they had heard.

"Thank you," eventually whispered Fumio, his own, still trembling voice, "Thank you for worrying about us, and thank you for trying."

Yoshiyuki looked compassionately at the boy.

"Your benign nature was obvious from the first time we encountered you. Even now, you remain so kind-hearted and forgiving, but I certainly didn't come here to receive thanks from you." he said.

"I was a part of something that was evil and despicable that nearly destroyed you both. I just did what I could to minimize the damage.

He turned to Heero.

"I fully realise why you said you don't want to delve back into your past right now. It is something I anticipated, and prepared for."

He reached into his pocked and produced a booklet. It was about the size of a regular novel but without a cover. Anonymous white sleeves gave no indication of its content. He placed it on the table in front of him.

"This is the only one of its kind. It is unique and no other copy or backup has been, or ever will be made. It is a journal, my journal, and it covers the events and mindset of the people running the Foundation from the moment that both of you were adopted."

He slid the book slowly across the table surface to Heero.

"All of the answers to any questions you may have are in here. I implore you, if your thoughts are to discard it right now, please, just put it somewhere safe. There may be information here that could save either of you later in life."

Heero just looked at the man, expressionless.

"I know you don't want to go dragging up the past right now, but if you won't hold onto it for yourself Heero, then do it for his sake… Please!" He pointed to Fumio.

Eventually Heero began to nod subtly, understanding what the man was urging.

"I will not discard it," he spoke quietly, "You have my word."

An expression of relief appeared on the mans face as he nodded approvingly and pulled his hand away from the book, leaving it in Heero's possession.

"It does seem to me, that you're being unreasonably hard on yourself," commented Noin, who remained perched against one of the worktops, her arms folded.

"Despite what you got yourself involved in, it sounds like you did all the right things to try to make things better. If you think about it, it's possible that any one of us could have fallen into the same trap that you found yourself in."

Quatre added his comments, "And you did what anyone here would have done if they had found themselves in the same situation. You tried to make good the situation by applying your skills to protect rather than cause harm. As far as I'm concerned, that's got to count for something."

The man shook his head.

"You don't understand. Just by being associated with that despicable organization, my integrity as a man and a fighter will always be non-existent. The truth is, I simply did not do enough. It was always too little, too late, and most of the time it was my own fear that held me back." Yoshiyuki looked sorrowfully at the table and sighed.

"I will never allow myself to believe that my life had even the slightest degree of honour. All I am willing to do now is go on living in the shadows of society, helping to do what I can, when I can… That is, unless…"

He, reached up into the sleeve of his coat and moments later produced an automatic pistol, which he placed on the table in front of Heero.

Heero looked at him blankly.

"Hmm." he muttered,

"So you think that my killing you in revenge would make things better?" His voice was monotone and emotionless.

"I told you, I was prepared to go to any lengths to undo the damage". Replied Yoshiyuki dryly.

Heero picked up the weapon and examined it.

"Hmm, nice touch. Loaded with low-velocity dum-dum's, should do the job quickly, although not very cleanly."

"Touché" replied the man, shrugging his shoulders.

Heero continued to stare at him blankly,

"I'm afraid revenge is not my style. Anyway, personally I don't have a problem with you living. If I wanted to seek revenge, my targets would have been those truly evil ones you described earlier, not someone who actually tried to help us. No, my killing days are well and truly over. Besides, when you live in a monastery for five months, some things tend to rub off on you. But I can only speak for myself."

Heero turned his eyes towards his brother sat beside him.

"How about you Fumio? Do you feel the need to take revenge?" Heero offered the gun, handle-first to the small monk.

Fumio looked at him with a horrified expression.

"Heero! What are you doing?!" he gasped, "No! of course I don't want to!"

"Now think about this carefully for a moment Fumio," continued Heero Dryly. "Are you sure? Forget about being a monk for a minute. I'm not talking to you, Fumio Yuy the boy monk, I'm talking to Gundam pilot zero one-Alpha. The one who was scarred for life by what this man and those with him did. To rid the world of this man could even be enough to stop your hands from shaking, maybe even to stop the flashbacks altogether."

Fumio's horrified expression gradually began to worsen as Heero continued.

"Aren't you angry? Isn't there a single seed of hatred inside you that makes you want to get back at this man for what he did to you?"

Heero's voice began to grow more urgent,

"Here's your chance Fumio! right here, right now! All you've got to do is pull the trigger."

Fumio continued shaking his head negatively.

"No Heero! Stop it. STOP IT!" He was starting to become visibly upset.

"Heero! Get a grip!" suddenly interrupted Noin.

"Come off it Heero, what are you playing at?!" added Wufei, sounding annoyed "Enough already!"

Heero stopped talking, pausing for a moment then gave a sigh. He took the gun away from in front of Fumio and placed it back on the table in front of the man. Then reached up and cupped his hand gently on the back of Fumio's neck.

"I'm sorry." he whispered in a reassuring gesture, "I know you would never have done it, but I felt that was necessary to prove a point to our… friend here."

Yoshiyuki slowly nodded and took back the gun, replacing it in the concealed holster up his sleeve.

"I understand what you have done here today." He said, finally standing up. "I came here expecting revenge and hatred from you, or at the very least, anger from you. But it would seem that both of you have already moved on with your lives. I am glad."

"I don't really care if you choose to throw away your life by living and dwelling in the past, but it would be a mistake to do it in the belief that it is somehow making things right for us." Suggested Heero. "Move on and forget about us. Go home in the knowledge that we hold no grudges and want for nothing more than to just get on with our lives in peace. If it makes you feel any better, then we'll consider the blueprints and this journal to be a final payment. The account is now closed, there is nothing more owing."

Yoshiyuki listened carefully as Heero spoke, subtly nodding.

"Actually, there is just one more thing!" came the voice of an old man.

Suddenly all eyes turned for the doorway.

In the doorway leading to the main hall stood an oldish man in his sixties. A Buddhist monk dressed in traditional red robes with a saffron yellow tunic visible at the neck and sleeves. He had a kindly, weathered face engraved with wrinkles that told a thousand stories.

"Lama Banai!" gasped Fumio, bouncing to his feet and eagerly rushing over to greet the cheerfully faced monk.

"Hello Fumio my boy!" He happily replied. Without hesitation, Fumio threw his arms around him and buried his head against the monks' chest. Lama Banai gladly returned the embrace.

"I hope you have been keeping well Fumio, and you too Heero. Everyone has been anxious for your return.

Heero nodded to the man.

"It is good to see you again Lama, although, I am a little confused."

Still in their embrace, Fumio looked up at him,

"Yes, how come you are here Lama?"

The old monk smiled, "Because today Fumio, we are going to witness a very, very special event!" he replied in an excited voice.

Fumio pulled away and looked at him oddly.

"What event Lama?" he asked innocently.

The man smiled again.

"Why don't you let me show you." He replied, peeling his eyes around the room acknowledging everyone. They came to a halt on Quatre.

"Ah, Mr Winner I presume?"

Quatre nodded.

Lama Banai took a long, respectful bow.

"Please, forgive this intrusion into the sanctity your delightful home."

Quatre gestured that it was not a problem.

"If you have no objections, there are others who are with me."

Quatre nodded again.

Lama Banai gestured to the door at the back of the kitchen. Nobody had noticed the dozen or so monks who had gathered silently outside the door. It opened and without a sound the other monks filtered into the room. Their hands were held together in prayer as they each bowed to the Lama and then to the group as the entered.

"Fugita san! Noriko! Oji!" called Fumio excitedly, grinning. "Has everyone come here Lama?" he asked.

"No not everyone," replied the Lama, "The others still await your safe return at the monastery."

The Gundam group all looked a little dumbstruck, but observed silently as the gathering of monks began to assemble around the table area.

Yoshiyuki remained standing, but somehow the others could tell that he knew what this was about.

"Fumio, could you come and stand here for a minute?" asked Lama Banai, standing beside Yoshiyuki.

Fumio curiously stood next to the table between both men who seemed to tower above him. Lama gestured for Yoshiyuki to sit, and sat down himself.

"Lama, what is going on? Why is everyone here?" asked Fumio slightly anxiously.

"Do not be worried Fumio," replied the Lama, who turned his eyes to Yoshiyuki.

"If you are the person whom I think you are, then I do believe you are holding onto something that belongs to Fumio."

Slowly, an almost tearful smile formed on Yoshiyuki's face.

"Then it really is true… isn't it?" he gasped, "He… he really is… The one!"

Lama Banai gave a subtle nod.

"This will be the test." He replied cryptically. "Do you have the item?"

Yoshiyuki nodded.

"Wait a minute, what Item? What test?" said Heero jumping concernedly to his feet, "What are you talking about, what are you going to do? Lama?"

Lama Banai looked at him gesturing for him to calm down.

"Heero, please do not worry yourself," he replied calmly, "Do you honestly believe we would expose Fumio to any kind of danger?"

Heero slowly sank back down onto his chair.

"I guess not," he replied in a subdued voice.

"This is a very, very special moment," continued Lama Banai, "Heero, just observe, be witness to it."

Heero finally nodded, and they continued.

Yoshiyuki reached into his coat and pulled out a security belt that he had strapped around his middle. He placed it on the table and unzipped it, then pulled from it a small wooden box about the size of a cigar box.

He handed the box to Lama Banai.

Lama Banai looked at Fumio, who eyed the box with curiously.

"Fumio, this is the final piece of the jigsaw," he spoke softly.

He slowly opened the box to reveal what looked like a large rose quartz stone sunken into a golden broach-like retaining frame engraved with odd-looking hieroglyphics.

There were gasps as everyone's caught a glimpse of the, quite beautiful object they could all see.

"This Fumio, is much, much older than you, and even older than me!" grinned the Lama in a whispered voice, "It's not hundreds, or even thousands of years old, but is in fact, believed to be from the very dawn of time itself."

Fumio peered curiously at the object.

"But what is it Lama?" he whispered in return.

"You'll see," was the cryptic reply. "Fujita San," he called.

Fujita stepped forward and carefully took the object into his hands, scrutinising the hieroglyphic wording around the gold. He pulled out a curious electronic device from his pocket and proceeded to scan the object. A few moments later, he looked up at Lama Banai, with an excited expression.

"It is genuine Lama!" he gasped, "It's frequency is accurate to fifty decimal places! Just as the texts said it would be!" an excited smile appeared on his face, "Lama! this is it!" he gasped again, "This is it!!"

An excited whispering could be heard amongst the other monks.

At that moment, Yoshiyuki stood up and walked away from the table towards the door.

"It is time for me to leave," he said dryly, "I do not deserve to be a part of this event."

He turned to face Heero and Fumio. "Once again, I am sorry for the past, but am glad you are both moving forward now. I will contact you no more."

"You sure you want to leave?" asked Heero, "You don't have to."

"It would be better if I left, besides, there's somewhere I have to be."

"Where?" asked Heero.

Yoshiyuki looked at him and paused for a moment.

"Home." he eventually replied.

Heero looked at him for a moment, nodding approvingly.

"Good." he replied quietly.

Yoshiyuki nodded thankfully and began heading for the doorway, at which point Heero got up and joined him,

"I'll see you out," he gestured.

"I guess you've waited a long time for this," suggested Heero as they slowly walked along the hallway towards the main front door of the mansion.

Yoshiyuki nodded silently.

"Look," Said Heero hesitantly, thinking carefully about what he was going to say, "I don't know what your intentions are now, but, I want you to do me a favour, no! Two favours."

The man enquired what they were.

"Firstly, I want you to stay alive," said Heero, "Just don't do anything stupid."

Yoshiyuki glanced sideways at him, raising an eyebrow, "And the second?" he asked dryly.

"Second, If you intend to disappear in any serious way, then please, leave some kind of clue, just a few breadcrumbs, so I can find you if I have to."

"In case you change your mind about killing me?"

Heero shook his head, "No, but if you want your life to have honour again, and I mean real honour, then there may be a way. Just make sure you do as I asked."

Yoshiyuki thought for a moment as he opened the huge front door.

"Very well, I will do as you ask," he replied dryly. Then turned and began heading down the stone steps towards an anonymous black car waiting on the gravel drive.

"Oh, by the way, you might want this back" called Heero, throwing him the magazine clip from the gun that Yoshiyuki had offered him earlier. He caught it with ease.

A slight grin formed on his face,

"You unloaded it." He said, sounding surprised, "I'm impressed, I didn't see you do that."

"If you think I'd be cruel enough to hand my brother a loaded weapon like that, especially after he's come this far, then think again," replied Heero.

Yoshiyuki nodded, understanding.

After a final nod and a smile, he continued on his way, never to return.

Heero wandered back into the kitchen.

"History will record that Yoshiyuki san, the courier, left at this time," commented Lama Banai.

"His sacrifices and efforts will not go unacknowledged."

"Do you know who that was Lama?" asked Heero.

Lama Banai nodded.

"Although I have not actually met him until today, I have no doubt that he was the one who has been providing us with reliable intelligence for the past four years, constantly keeping us one step ahead of those wishing to bring harm to Fumio.

Heero looked shocked, as did Fumio.

"You mean he's been looking out for us all the time?"

Lama Banai nodded.

"And I'm pretty sure he will go on doing the same thing." He added.

Wufei leaned forward. "I… I guess I was wrong about him." he said hesitantly, slowly. "I actually feel guilty for being so hard on him."

"Do not worry yourself my young friend," suggested Lama Banai, "I'm sure he knows that, he is an intelligent man, he will understand."

He turned his eyes back to Fumio.

"Now then young master Yuy, shall we proceed?"

Fumio nodded, and sat down in the chair that Yoshiyuki had previously sat in.

The stone was passed around the room to each of the monks, who each in turn seemed to quote something in the ancient Pali language whilst gesturing a kind-of blessing over it. Eventually it was returned to Lama Banai.

"What is this stone Lama?" asked Fumio, "Why is it so special?"

Lama Banai looked kindly at him.

"That is what we are about to find out," he said, finally offering the stone to Fumio.

At first, the boy seemed reluctant to take it, afraid of what would happen.

"It's alright," whispered Lama, "It was always meant to belong to you. You have nothing to fear from it. Just take it."

Slowly, gently, Fumio took the stone from Lama Banai and held it in his small, cupped hands, examining it curiously. As he looked closer, the other monks began leaning in, watching it carefully as if expecting something to happen.

"Do you sense anything?" asked Lama Banai in a whisper.

"It's heavy, heavier than I thought it would be." replied Fumio. He looked closer.

Deep within the translucent stone's centre a faint glow began to appear, gradually getting brighter as if coming to life. The excited whispering returned amongst, not only the monks, but now the rest of the Gundam group as the light gradually grew brighter.

Suddenly Fumio let out an excited gasp.

"I hear it! Lama! Its… its trying to communicate with me!" he beamed excitedly at the old monk.

Lama Banai nodded his head approvingly, as if that's what he was expecting.

"What is it saying Fumio?" he whispered.

A now, slightly giggling grin was fixed on Fumio's face, "Its… It's saying… … …Hello!"

Final Chapter - Twenty-Two

For several minutes Fumio remained staring at the stone, as if locked in some kind of deep-thought conversation with it. The grin never left his face. Eventually the stone's glow began to fade until it became dormant once more.

Fumio seemed to come out of his trance-like state with a contented sigh.

"Wow!" he gasped quietly.

"Err, what just happened there Fumio?" asked Noin.

Fumio looked up at her.

"It was communicating with me" he grinned, "It was incredible!" his voice became excited. "Its, its like it just uploaded a huge amount or information directly into my mind. It's strange, but I suddenly feel like know the answers to everything that's going on here!"

"You wanna fill us in a little?" asked Duo grinning, "Because frankly, I've been confused from the moment our orange robed friends walked in the door! How can a stone communicate with you! Do you mean, like, there's a little guy living in it or something?"

Fumio grinned

"Not quite Duo. It's really complicated, but I think the basics are this…"

The room quietened down as he began to explain. The monks were as keen to hear this as the Gundam gang.

"I think the Stone is a bit like a radio receiver and transmitter, except it seems to intercept all space and time in the universe."

There were several whispered "Wow's" and murmurs of anticipation as he explained.

"While I was concentrating on it just now, I sensed that there were many other consciousnesses intercepting with my own, intentionally trying to communicate specifically with me, not quite in words or language, but more like in feelings and thought."

His face frowned slightly as he concentrated hard, trying to put into words the amazing thoughts now swimming around in his head.

"I'm sorry, It's so hard to explain, but…" He looked up at the Gundam Group, "But there is another who might be able to explain it better than I."

"What do you mean?" Asked Duo.

Fumio peeled his eyes towards Quatre. "I believe Mr Quatre knows what I'm talking about."

Suddenly all eyes were on Quatre.

"Me?" he looked confused. "I don't understand. How could I know?"

Fumio did not reply, but just looked back at him, nodding slightly, urging him to think carefully.

"Wait a minute!" suddenly gasped Quatre, "Do you meant the… The heart of space?" he asked in a gasped whisper.

Fumio nodded. "The stone told me that you were capable of sensing some things related to this." Replied Fumio, "What do you mean by the heart of space?"

Quatre thought for a moment. "Well, the Heart of space is the name I've given to a feeling I sometimes get inside my heart whenever something major or significant happens." he replied.

"Can you describe it more?" asked Fumio.

Quatre nodded. "It sounds a bit silly, but it's as if all things are inextricably linked through space. Whenever something significantly good or bad happens, it is as if there is a great disturbance and it sends a kind of shockwave through the entire universe."

Fumio smiled. "It's not silly at all," he replied, "In fact, you have no idea how close you are to the truth according to this new information running around inside my head."

"Really?" gasped Quatre looking surprised.

Fumio nodded, "I think that what you sense is similar to what I just sensed from the stone. The only difference is, that what you can sense Quatre, is a kind-of resonance of the entire cosmic consciousness. What I seem to have sensed coming from the stone is a small number of very selective consciences, or minds."

Lama Banai, who had been listening very carefully, suddenly clapped his hands together in excitement. "Yes!" he gasped animatedly.

Fumio turned his enquiring eyes towards him.

"Fumio, the consciousnesses you speak of, are of the spiritual minds of the greatest saints and humanitarians the universe has ever seen. They are many, from all eras, and are of the chosen few who, like you, had very special powers, powers of good that they used in their own ways to help steer the universe onto the path, which it has ultimately taken; the permanent search for peace. Fumio! This is so exciting!" He gasped again, unable to contain his exhilaration any longer, "What you have described, is almost exactly what is written in the historic texts!"

Fumio looked at him with slight confusion.

"You mean you already knew what was going to happen Lama?"

Lama Banai nodded. "Oh Yes, we all did, but it was very important that we kept that information from you, and that you told us about what you have discovered using your own words. This has validated the texts beyond all doubt!" he continued in an excited voice.

"Today Fumio you have had your first lesson. The information the stone provided you with was just preliminary information to answer your immediate questions. Over time, it will gradually provide you with a vast knowledge of the universe and our reasons for being. You will eventually be using your powers to make changes that will ultimately be able to finally lead not just mankind, but all life in the direction for which it was always intended to go."

There was a numb silence amongst the Gundam group as they tried to digest what Lama Banai had said. In the end, Sally spoke up.

"Lama, isn't this a little heavy to be putting on the shoulders of a twelve year old?" she protested slightly. "Surely after all he's been through, he'd want nothing more than to be able to get on with his life without all this complication?"

Lama Banai smiled compassionately at her, but before he could speak, Fumio answered her.

"You don't need to be worried about me Miss Sally" he spoke quietly. "I have known for a very long time what my future holds, and if I am to be completely honest, I'm actually very excited about it, even if it does seem a bit scary at times. I'm looking forward to having the kind of life where I can actually make a real difference. It's all I ever really wanted, ever since I first knew. I can't explain it, but, it feels… It just feels so right."

"I do understand your concerns Miss Sally," continued Lama Banai, "But it will be years before Fumio is ready to engage seriously in this, by then he will be a fully grown adult. Do not worry yourself, he will have a rich and rewarding life, especially his childhood, I personally promise you that. And we will always do our best to make up for the short-falls from his earlier years too."

Sally nodded, seeming assured by the Lama's words.

Eventually, Fumio turned his eyes back to Lama and carefully offered him back the stone.

"Lama, please could you keep this somewhere safe?"

Lama Banai gently took it from him, "Of course", he replied, signalling to the other monks, two of whom turned around and picked up a small wooden chest from the floor behind them and placed it on the table. It was opened and the stone placed carefully inside.

"This will be it's home for now." he suggested.

Lama Banai stood up and asked the other monks to prepare to return to the Monastery. They all bowed to him, then to the rest of the group, and began to silently shuffle back out of the rear door, taking with them the small wooden chest containing the stone.

Once the door closed, Lama turned to Heero.

"Was Yoshiyuki san able to help you fulfil your mission Heero?"

Heero stared back for a moment, before finally cracking a smile. He nodded.

"Yes Lama, the Blueprints are here," he replied quietly.

A look of obvious relief fell onto Lama Banai's face.

"Oh! That's wonderful news indeed!" he turned to Fumio, who was also sporting a grin.

Lama reached up and gripped Fumio by the shoulders.

"I am so very happy Fumio!" he beamed, crouching so their eyes were level, "Now we can get rid of those troublesome instincts of yours once and for all!"

Fumio nodded, then reached forward for another brief hug, which the lama gladly returned.

"We will be going now" he spoke softly, directing his words to Heero, "Have you decided when you are likely to return?"

Heero sighed,

"Well, I guess now we've got the blueprints, there's no reason why we couldn't return with you today."

He suddenly spotted the look of disappointment on Fumio's face,

"Or, on the other hand, we could always come home tomorrow, as that's when many of our friends here will be leaving too," he added.

Fumio grinned in obvious approval.

Lama nodded, agreeing. He broke form his embrace with Fumio.

"Then, enjoy the rest of your time here, and I look forward to your safe return, both of you, tomorrow." he replied, smiling.

He affectionately ruffled Fumio's hair, then turned and left through the door.

"What a lovely man" commented Sally quietly, turning her eyes towards Heero, She smiled clemently.

"The monastery, Heero, you called it home!" she said in surprise, "That's the first time I've ever heard you refer to anywhere as home."

He didn't reply verbally, just looked at her and shrugged, smiling slightly.

It was around four in the afternoon the next day as Quatre's monster 4x4 pulled up and parked by a gate at the end of a bumpy dirt road. The monastery was about a quarter of a mile further up the wooded track, but was inaccessible by vehicle.

The whole gang had decided to tag along while Quatre dropped the brothers back at the monastery on the other side of town. They all disembarked and wandered slowly up the path together. Heero had his small rucksack across his shoulder whilst Wufei insisted on carrying Fumio's small tatty brown suitcase.

It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day. The gang had spent most of it in the Winner mansion gardens just relaxing, and playing games as they had done earlier in the week. Despite the enjoyable time had by all, this day was different. There seemed to be an underlying feel of sadness, as everyone knew this would be the last day they would all be together.

Apart from Duo and Hilde, the others would all be leaving that weekend to continue with their normal lives. Some would be local, others, would be far, far away, like Noin, who would be returning to outer space to continue on the terraforming project with Zechs. Sally and Wufei who would also be returning to space to finish up their work with the preventers.

There was a sombre mood as the gang walked the along the path. Hardly anyone spoke.

They eventually reached the large wooden perimeter gate of the monastery.

"Well, I guess this is it," said Wufei. Heero nodded.

"Perhaps the next time we see you Heero, you might be wearing the same clothes as your brother!" he said humorously, pointing to the traditional robes that Fumio had on.

Heero forged a grin, "Well, I don't know about that!" he replied, "But I suppose anything's possible."

Heero extended a hand to his former comrade, which Wufei took firmly and shook.

"Thanks for everything" said Heero, a hint of sadness in his voice, "I mean it, all of you. I am indebted to you all."

"It's been fun," commented Quatre extending his hand "It was really great to see you again Heero, to see everyone again," they shook, "and to meet new friends too" added Quatre now extending his hand to Fumio.

Fumio had been stood close to Heero, trying to put on a brave face and not show his sadness. But as everyone continued to shake his hand and say their farewells, his emotions were becoming harder and harder to mask. By the time he got to Noin, the tears were streaming down his face.

"I'm not very good at saying goodbye," he sniffed in a whispered, croaky voice, as a tear-faced Noin Leaned in and gave him a huge, firm hug, lifting him up off the ground.

"Neither am I," she whispered back, sniffing. "Neither am I."

They held on for ages.

"I'll never forget you," Whispered Fumio quietly, at which point Noin gave a slight, suppressed sob and held him even tighter. Then she planted a long kiss tenderly on his forehead before lowering him back to the ground, taking one last look at him with her tearful eyes, pressing her fingertips onto his reddened cheeks. Then she quickly span round and began hurrying back down the hill away from the group.

"I'll wait for you guys by the car ok," she managed to squeak as she left.

Sally stepped in to take her place as Fumio watched her walking away, wondering if he'd done something wrong.

"Don't worry Fumio" she assured him, her own voice sounding a little upset,

"She'll be ok, she's just very sad at having to say goodbye, that's all."

Fumio nodded, identify with her situation, unable to comment any further through his own tears.

"She's going to miss you very much," whispered Sally, pursing her lips together as her own sadness began to hasten, "…and so am I!" she gasped sadly.

Instantly, Fumio clung his arms around her and held on tight.

"You… you know you can visit us here, any time," he sobbed quietly into her shoulder.

Sally nodded, and cupped her hand onto the back of his head, but she was unable to answer. It was all she could do to stop being overcome with emotion herself.

Eventually, reluctantly, they broke apart. Heero stepped in and squeezed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Come on." he smiled, ushering Fumio towards the main gate that had been opened by one of the monks who had come down to meet them.

Fumio nodded and they began slowly walking away, towards the monastery entrance, while the rest of the group began the walk back down the hill.

The brothers stopped at the gate and watched as the others, after a final wave, eventually disappeared out of sight around the bend in the path.

Just around the corner, they found Noin, sat on the side of the path, still trying to dry her eyes.

On sight of the others, she stood up and walked with them. Trowa put a comforting arm around her shoulders as they all continued their solemn walk back to the car.

"Sorry about that guys," she sniffed, "I don't usually get emotional like that."

"Don't worry about it Miss Noin," replied Quatre, who also sounded a little quiet and croaky. "We totally understand."

Noin grinned as she wiped her eyes again. "I knew I was going to be in trouble from the moment that boy said hello," she chuckled and sniffed again, then gave a long sigh. "Oh! such a sweet kid. I'm really gonna miss him."

"We all are," added Quatre, "and Heero too. in fact I'm going to miss all of you guys when you leave here."

There were general mumblings of agreement.

"Hey!" suddenly chirped Duo, "Why don't we make a point of having a get-together at least once a year?"

"Yeah! Why not?" added Sally.

"Hey! That's a great Idea added Hilde"

Quatre nodded, "Tell you what then Guys, why don't you leave it with me," he suggested excitedly, "I'll see what I can do about arranging something for next year."

"You ok now Fumio?" asked Heero, wiping Fumio's tearful cheeks with his thumbs as they stood just outside the main entrance.

Fumio nodded.

"I'll be alright, thanks Heero." he sniffed and forged a slight smile.

"You certainly made an impression on those guys, especially Noin," he commented, "I've never seen her act like that before."

They turned to face the huge placard hanging above the entrance pagoda identifying the huge building beyond as the Sakuragoaka Monastery.

"Hey, welcome home Fumio." Heero smiled.

Fumio looked up loyally at him. "You too Heero… Welcome home, my brother."

epilogue...

By the autumn of that same year, and with the help of Lama Banai, Fumio was finally cured of his terrifying flashback episodes. Heero stayed on at the monastery and was later appointed the official position 'head of security'. For his very first task in that role, he tracked down Yoshiyuki-san and invited him to become a personal bodyguard to Fumio. Yoshiyuki accepted and loyally remains at Fumio's side to this very day. Wufei, who currently teaches at a famous martial arts academy in China, also became a reserve bodyguard and remains available for call-up at any given moment.

Quatre remains at the Winner mansion nearby, overseeing the family business mainly from there. He still visits the brothers regularly. In the early autumn he presented Yatimah, as a gift to Fumio. She now lives in the huge field next to the monastery and has never been more contented.

The summer gathering of AC197 was the first of what became an annual event that still continues to this very day.

THE END


	5. One Small Step Followup 8 years on

Follow-up to One Small Step.

Has it really been 8 years since I completed this? Wow! How time flies!

So here I am almost a decade on, a lot more grown up and wondering "what the hell was I thinking when I wrote this stuff!" and "Does anybody even read GW fanfic anymore? especially the cheesy Mary Sue or Gary Stu content that this so obviously borders!

So, I figured I'd add this extra chapter to see if anyone is still out there in the GW ether! And whether they still write reviews?

Baerwolf. 


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